A Tale of Sores and Soles
by Lecreme Brulee
Summary: Enter Claire Kafka: Sunny Farmer Extraordinaire. She comes to Mineral Town and ends up in wacky situations while befriending two guys and a librarian. Is there a love square? Love, Friendship, and Madness is in the air. Mary X Gray X Claire X Doctor? DONE
1. Claire of the North Star

_**Disclaimer: "Harvest Moon" is a property of Natsume and Marvelous Interactive.**_

_**And "Hokuto Shinken" is from "Fist of the North Star". Thank you.**_

* * *

"_Transcending truth and fiction, a tale of sores and soles eternally retold…"_

_ -Some Epic Narrative Voice_

**Harvest Moon- A Tale of Sores and Soles-**

**Chapter 1: Claire of The North Star**

"What!? Explain to me what's wrong with it! Come on!"

"What's wrong with it? The answer is inside of you! You have much to learn!"

Right at the counter of Mineral Town's Blacksmith shop, a young man with short, strawberry blonde hair covered by a blue hat reading "UMA" and sharp blue eyes bickered with an elderly man with thick, white eyebrows and an even thicker beard.

"Oh come on, Gramps! It's not like you're teaching me kung-fu here!" the young man shouted.

"Quite the contrary, my grandson. In our excessive training thus far, I've applied training techniques of the ancient art of Hokuto Shinken to physically train you for the physical endeavors of a blacksmith. Such a shame that my sole air has chosen to reject the full training regiment just to settle with the bare minimum." The elderly man huffed.

"Let's be real here, Gramps: Who in their right mind would need to learn kung-fu nowadays? Especially this "Hocky-Pocky Slinky" or whatever the heck name you just said a moment ago?"

"Hohoho… My grandson, as I've said before: You have much to learn. Or have you not noticed that the ladies go for a kung-fu man?"

Suddenly, the door behind them swung open. A curious young woman with bobbed golden hair and sapphire eyes stepped forth. She wore a short-sleved, cross-stitch red shirt with a pair of khaki pants and brown work shoes.

"WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING AT!?" the UMA hat boy roared, "IF YOU HAVE NOTHING--"

"Gray! How dare you talk to a customer like that?" The aged man cut in with even greater fercocity.

The young man called grey turned his head off to the side with a mixed expression of regret and frustration.

"So…sorry." He uttered quietly.

He then stepped off to the side as the mysterious girl stepped up to the desk.

"Welcome", the elderly man greeted formally.

"Morning! My name is Claire Kafka! I'm the new farmer" the girl greeted cheerfully.

"Hey, are you new here? What do you want?" Grey suddenly said aloud.

"Gray, right? Oh, I'm just here to check out the town, you know? I figured I'd be coming to the Blacksmith often to give my tools a checkup, so I came here first!" Claire said with a wink.

Gray gave an awkward nod.

"By the way, sorry for earlier." He muttered.

He then gave a sigh before continuing talking.

"I didn't mean to be rude… my grandfather was giving me a hard time .He never approves of my work, and then he keeps insisting that I learn kung-fu from him for really stupid reasons. I'm ready to quit… everything. I feel so stupid, you know?"

Briefly, Claire cocked her head to the side and scratched her hair a bit.

"Um…. are you the apprentice blacksmith around here… er, Gary?"

"Gray, and yes." Gray corrected.

"Okay, well then… not to be mean or anything, but what you're doing is essentially training… am I right?" she asked.

Suddenly, young Gray was struck with a light of inspiration.

"Ha, you're right. I'm such a wimp…" he uttered miserly. "Sorry for complaining so much…"

Through his general mood of negativity, the young apprentice barely manage a grin.

"Thanks, stranger. I don't get what my grandfather is saying nowm but I think the time will come. Just gotta keep trying… even if what he says feels like a lot of nonsense for now."

"It's Claire. Claire Kafka,and glad I could help!" she cheered.

"Hey, watch that mouth of yours, boy!" The old man at the back gripped.

"Still, that doesn't take care of his attitude, though…" Gray grumbled.

"Oh, don't worry about that! I'm sure he loves you like any other Grandpa with! Take mine, for example! Sure he acted really abusive towards Mommy when she had me be really distasteful means and all, and practically disowned her, leaving Mommy and I out on the streets for us to fend for ourselves for a long while, but I'm pretty sure deep down, he really loved my Mommy and I! Just like yours does you!" she blathered aloud in a chipper tone.

Gray cocked an eyebrow.

"Um…. thanks?" he replied in a confused tone. "Anyway, I'm working now. Gotta get back, you see."

After that brief exchange of words, the young blacksmith apprentice excused himself before heading off towards the workroom at the back.

"So, before you were rudely interrupted… what further business do you have with the Blacksmith, Miss Kafka?"

"Please, "Claire" is just fine!" she insisted. "Really, though. I just stopped by to introduce myself, and hopefully make a few friends along the way."

"Well, Claire. You're happy-go-lucky attitude has certainly earned my approval!" The old blacksmith grinned. "My name is Saibara, and it's a pleasure to meet you! My grandson could learn a lot from your positive outlook! If only he was willing to learn the ways of Hokuto Shinken…" he sighed.

"Nice to meet you too, Mr. Saibara!" Claire grinned. "Well, now that I'm done here, I think I'll head off to the Inn next! Bye!!"

And with that, the bundle of energy known as Claire head off in a flash, not forgetting to close the door behind her.

"Ah, a youth so full of spirit and vitality! Perhaps… if only she were my heir instead, she may yet be the perfect successor to Hokuto Shinken…." He sighed in regret.

Meanwhile, at the back, Gray still remained puzzled by the farmer's last remarks.

"Okay… was she serious, or was that just some joke she used to cheer me up?" he asked himself.

* * *

_**Next up is Mary. How do you think she's going to feel about the new farmer? Find out in the next chapter! ;)**_


	2. Much Ado About Mary

"_So, about yesterday… I met the new farmer. Her name's Claire Kafka, and she's a bit… odd."_

"_Really? In what way?"_

"_I don't know. She's really cheerful. Maybe "too" cheerful. I don't know, I have to admit that her sunny personality is contagious, but it disturbs me a little."_

"_You're probably just being paranoid about someone new who can stand your grumpiness. If she's as nice as you say she is, I'm sure you'll warm up to her, eventually."_

"_She told me this really… um… "interesting" story about her past in abandonment. I can't quite tell if she was joking about it or not, going by her mood."_

"_She must have thrown that in to lighten the mood then."_

"_Here's hoping. Anyway, she came back after a little trip around town to ask about the library. I told her it was on Holiday and that it would be open tomorrow. Expect her to stop by later today: she seemed real eager to pick up some gardening tips."_

"_Thanks. I'll keep that in mind."_

And so, at Mineral Town's Library, its black-haired, speckled librarian pondered just how her first encounter with the new farmer.

"She sounds fun," she told herself in anticipation, "I hope I can give her a proper greeting."

**Chapter 2: Much Ado About Mary**

In mere moments, the golden-haired wonder stepped right into the very building with ample anticipation.

"Hi, I'm the new farmer, Claire Kafka! I just came by to look at a few books on farming to get me started! This girl named Karen gave me some free seeds yesterday for planting, but I'm just not quite sure how to properly do it! I tried doing the same thing with these watermelon seeds before owning the farm, but I just couldn't quite get them to grow!" the new girl introduced herself rather loquaciously.

"Ah, good morning, Claire! I was just expecting you. My name is Mary, and welcome to the library. Sure, you can have a look around", the raven-haired librarian greeted pleasantly.

As soon as soon as Claire laid eyes on Mary, her entire body immediately froze. Both women exchanged curious glances. An inexplicable tension was in the air.

"Ah, Mary? You're.. Gray's friend, right? Of course! Gray told me about you yesterday! How could I forget?" Claire resumed with a nervous laugh.

"So he's told you about me as well? Good. I guess we can skip through a lot of the introduction already." Mary grinned.

"Yeah, he told me that you were very smart and kind, and is you're usually by yourself most of the time in the library. But he never mentioned you were…"

"Mentioned I was what?" Mary asked with a blink.

"Ah…uh… nothing! Nothing at all!" Claire said in a fluster. "Why was I here again? Books! About Farming! Yes!"

"The farming books should be over in the back shelves. And you're in luck: we also have some books describing crop growth, so you can get some handy advice on which seeds to buy in each season after you can get enough gold on your own." Mary informed her.

"That's neat!" Claire cheered. "But I'm so low on gold now, and I'm stuck having to forage for a profit. I already used most of it, and then blew the rest of it on a meal at the Inn. That Doug's a great chef and a fun man to talk to!"

"Really? I did hear you blew an awful lot just to purchase the farm from Mayor Thomas, but it's so run-down now. It must have been a really big disappointed being ripped off like that, huh?" Mary mentioned with deep sympathy.

"Not really. I wasn't all that mad about it. In fact, all this means is that I've been given a greater challenge, and I have to give it my best to meet it head on!" Claire said with much fervor. "Of course, I'm here to learn just how to face it."

"At least you're looking at it from a positive prospective," Mary replied, "Gray really could learn a lot from you."

"Heh, thanks. Gray's a little scary to me, but I still really wanna be friends with him. Say… you're friends with him, Mary. Did he say anything about me? Does he like me? Because I think I annoyed him when we first met."

"Oh, don't mind him. He's kind of like that with everyone he first meets. I'm pretty sure you made a decent first impression, though, and I have a feeling you two will become good friends before you know it." Mary assured her.

"Thank goodness!" Claire cried in utter relief.

The astute Librarian took quick notice of the blonde farmer's reaction.

"Could it be… that she developed a quick crush?" she suddenly thought.

She then decided to momentarily push the thought aside when another issue came to her.

"By the way, Gray told me that you mentioned something about having an abusive Grandfather that disowned your Mother or something along those lines. Was that really just a joke just to break the ice? He made it seem like you just threw it out there on a whim." Mary asked.

The golden-haired farmer paused once more for a split second before proceeding to laugh it off heartily.

"Oh, that? Um… y-yeah! Of course! I have this strange habit of blurting out random things that come to mind! I got this really wild imagination, and so when I saw Gray and Saibara being all not-so-cool with each other, my imagination kicked in and I saw this odd story in my head about having an abusive Grandpa who owns this really big corporation! It's like a modern day fairytale just popped in my head from out of nowhere, you know? I always wondered why I never wanted to become a writer myself with all these ideas flowing out of me!" she explained.

"Wow… she's even more talkative than Ms. Manna when she's caught in a panic like this." Mary thought to herself.

"What a coincidence for you to say that. I happen to be a writer myself in a spare time… when I find the right inspiration." She replied.

"Really? Cool! You got any of your stuff on you right now?" Claire asked.

"N-no… nothing quite ready yet. I'm in the process of a novel right now, but I'm afraid it's not ready to be presented." Mary explained.

"Awww… that bites!" Claire sighed "Oh well, maybe that's for the best right now! If I got too far in your writing today, I probably wouldn't have any time left to pick up some farming tips! And that's just what I need to do right now! Alright! To the back shelves, onward!"

With that, Claire took off towards the valuable Farming Books she sought so for long, but before leaving the librarian's sight, she made a brief halt and pivot, then turned to face her one last time.

"Thanks again, Mary! I really enjoyed meeting you!"

"The pleasure was all mine!"

After the exchange, Claire went to her books while Mary went back to business as usual at her desk.

"She really is such a cute girl!" Mary thought. "I don't know for sure if she really likes Gray like that, or if the whole story about her grandpa really was made up, but I can tell she's a good person. I look forward to being good friends with her, for sure."

Meanwhile, as Mary was satisfied with her first encounter, young Claire took a quick glance at her new acquaintance before continuing on with her precious research.

"Mary… Gray never told me she was… so pretty…" She thought to herself with a discouraged sigh.

* * *

**_Coming up next, Claire is about to make a visit to the Doctor! What sort of prescription might he have in store for our young farmer? Find out in the Next Chapter! ;)_**


	3. Good Day Doctor Death

_Well, I got three chapters done right now, and I'd like to thank the sole reviewer of this fic so far, **supernae**. Thanks. ;) And now, it's the doctor's turn.__ On to the show..._

* * *

**Chapter 3: Good Day, Doctor Death**

Later that day, the affable young blonde headed towards the town clinic to meet the residence that is likely most essential for her livelihood. She wasted little time in rushing through the door to meet the people who be taking caring of her whenever she feels under the weather.

On the reception desk to the left was a pleasant-looking you nurse with chocolate brown short hair similar to Claire's, and matching deep brown eyes. She wore a frilly white apron over a traditional blue dress.

"Hi! Welcome to the clinic! How may I help… you?"

Without saying a word, Claire merely ignored the nurse's greeting and made a beeline towards a room on the right with a strict focus in her eyes.

"Oh, I guess whoever it is had more important business with the Doctor…" the nurse said to herself in disappointment.

Not to have the mood ruined, she simply shrugged it off and went on merrily with her business.

Immediately, Claire found herself to be in a spacious office with many shelved books, as well as a few neatly filed papers on a desk. The new farmer found herself in awe at the relatively modern-looking abode that was practically spotless.

"Huh? I haven't seen you before, have I?" a deep voice spoke aloud.

However, Claire remained distracted by the room's sparkling cleanliness.

"Well, are you new to this town?" the voice spoke again.

Somehow, the second try did the charm, as the dazed farmer finally looked forward.

The young man sitting before her had jet black hair and even darker pupils with a face that formed a stoic expression. He wore a clean white lab coat over a neat white dress shirt, along with a shiny head mirror and stethoscope.

"Ah, oh! Yes!" Claire suddenly blurted out. "My name is Claire Kafka, and--"

"Oh, so you're the one who took over the farm," The professional-looking figure deduced. "I actually heard about you from a few of my patients a little while ago."

Claire blinked.

"Strange… there's something that feels familiar about him, though it could be déjà vu." She thought to himself as she observed the man's face.

"That's a great guess! I wouldn't know if you'd assume any of the new strangers that came by here would be the new farmer in town until you nailed the right one, but if not, congratulations!" Claire answered back.

"Let me assure you, I made a fair logical analysis before I made my estimation," Doctor explained. "In any case, my name is Timothy Trent, but as you can tell, I'm a doctor. But for some reason, a few people around here simply prefer to me by my profession."

"So… some guys simply call you "Doctor"?" Claire asked.

The redundantly-nicknamed doctor nodded.

"Um… do you have any better nicknames?"

"Well, there is the simple "Tim", and then I received this much more interesting moniker from way back in my days a medical student. You see, I spent some of my earlier years in Japan to study foreign medicine, and one of my colleagues was swift to dub me "Itoshiki Mikoto". Now, when I found out about the elaborate kanji writing system of the language, I decided to look up the meaning behind this name and discovered that the combination of the name characters make out the term "zetsumei", meaning "death". I have no clue whatsoever as to why he gave me such a name with witty Japanese wordplay, but I could assume he just wanted to have some fun with a foreigner." Dr. Trent explained.

"Wow… so you were known as "Doctor Death" in Japan? That's…interesting…"

"Yes, but I'm afraid the results of that name is but a story for another time." Dr. Trent sighed.

Suddenly, the young doctor formed a rather charming and earnest smile.

"In any case, please come to see me right away when you don't feel well."

The blonde farmer was suddenly struck with fond feelings upon seeing this.

"That serious face… that cheerful grin. I remember now. He kinda reminds me of Dad." She thought with a grin.

"Everyone in town is pretty healthy, you know. But there are many unhealthy people in big cities. It must be nature that helps sustain our good health. I'm sure of it."

A jabbing pain suddenly struck Claire's just.

"Yeah, I guess so…" she said in a restrained voice.

"I'm studying everyday. There is no end to the world of medicine," Dr. Trent continued, "Just so many challenges. How about you? I assume farming must be hard. Especially for a first-timer. And you're a woman, too."

The novice farmer sighed deeply.

"No, I don't mean to sound sexist. It's just… females in general tend to have a relatively more fragile frame, and, seeing as there are a few conditions concerning the growing female body, and that you just came from the city…. I'm just saying that the work might be quite taxing if you've yet to physically prepare for it. I'm sorry if I haven't made myself more polite." He clarified.

"Oh, it's no problem. I can tell you're trying to be a nice guy. My dad was that way, too, and he was nice to me on a normal basis." Claire answered.

"I see… did he happen to be a Doctor, as well?" Dr. Trent asked curiously.

"No, just the personality bit. But this is nice… it's starting to feel like I already have a home away from home, except the local Doctor's like my Dad. But… um… I think it would be a little awkward to think of a guy only a few years older than me as a Dad." Claire rambled.

"At least you have someone to feel comfortable with around here. Glad I can be of service." Dr. Trent grinned.

"_This is actually kinda neat. I'm having an easier time making friends with the Doctor than with Gray. And he's actually a really nice guy, too! But…oh, I still hope I can make friends with him. Poor Gray looks like he could use a good friend to break him out of his grumpy slump every once in awhile and I really hope I can do just that."_

"Well, please take care, Claire. I still have some personal business to take care of for now, but my assistant Elli and I are here for you if you have any problems, okay?"

The blonde girl gave a quick nod just before she decided to head off into more unseen territory.

"Oh, by the way! There is a special tonic I just got from another town. You can energize and recover from fatigue at the same time after taking a proper dose of it. It's not as effective as the medicine we usually provide, so I don't sell it. However, I made some improvements, so it should be reasonably potent. It's bitter, though."

Claire made a quick heel turn to face the Doctor once more, and stared at the sample bottle reluctantly.

"If it was even sour, I'd still like to try it, but bitter doesn't suit me that well."

And yet, her trembling hand slowly reached for the sample.

"But… if it's really supposed to be good for your health and all, I'll go for it, I guess."

"Right! I knew you'd try it. Go ahead, bottoms up!" Dr. Trent urged the nervous young lady.

With her remaining hesitation suddenly gone, the resolute blonde opened her mouth wide and practically chugged the substance down. Afterwards, she slammed the bottle right onto the desk and made a thoroughly disgusted face.

"Baaaaaad…." She gagged.

"Well, I wasn't exactly going for bubble gum flavor, but it works, right?" Dr. Trent asked.

A barely composed Claire nodded slowly.

"Oh, great! I knew you'd understand the quality of this tonic. How about one more?"

Poor Claire could only help but stare back at Dr. Trent like he had transformed into some psychopath.

"You really are… "Doctor Death"… aren't you?" she continued to gag.

"I was kidding. Just… just please don't rely on any medicine too much, okay?" Dr. Trent answered.

"After tasting this, why would I?" Claire rebuked.

"True…" Dr. Trent said with a chuckle, "Well, it was actually quite fun talking with you today, Claire. You helped me out, too. But I must say, it was really courageous of you to try the medicine like that despite my warning. You must really want to be an asset to me."

"Oh, that would be nice!" Claire said ash she chuckled along with the good doctor, "Say, is there anything else I can do to help?"

"Sure. There happen to be some medicinal grasses that grow around town. If you could just gather a few for me every once in awhile, it would be a great aide in producing more medicine." He suggested.

"Oh… really? Um…. Actually, I happen to be gathering a few of those plants for my first profit, and I'm really quite poor right now. I don't know if I can afford to do it." Claire answered regretfully.

"No worries! One or two samples a week should suffice. It's amazing how much can be done with just the bare minimum. I'm sure that shouldn't be too much a problem, will it?" Dr. Trent asked.

"N-no! Not all! And thanks!" Claire said cheerfully.

"No no… thank you for volunteering, Claire." Dr. Trent insisted.

"I think I better go, now. From what I'm seeing through the window, the sun's starting to go down." Claire said.

"Is that so? Well then, I suppose it's time to close up for the day. Sorry we couldn't speak longer than this, but again, I enjoyed the opportunity."

"Me too!"

"See you later, Claire."

"You too, Dr. Death!"

"I would preferred to be called Dr. Trent."

"Oh, then later, Dr. Trent!"

"That's much better."

Once Claire left, the friendly receptionist from earlier approached the good doctor.

"Who was that just now, Doctor? It sounded like you were having some fun with the recent arrival." She asked.

"Elli! Oh, that was Miss Claire Kafka, the new farmer taking over. I recently had a most interesting 1st meeting with her." Dr. Trent explained.

"Really? I did notice a slight grin from you earlier. To be honest, Doctor, it wouldn't hurt if you were a little fun-loving like that more often. As good as it feels being your nurse, I really wished you did your part in lightening this place up. They do say good moods make for good health…" Elli suggested.

"I suppose you have a point for the casual occasion, but I can't afford to reduce myself to a clown when there's serious business afoot. I am a Doctor, after all." Dr. Trent stated.

"Maybe your new friend can help you strike a balance?" Elli suggested.

" "Friend", huh?" Dr. Trent repeated.

"The two of you did seem to hit it off pretty quickly from what I could make of it, and if she could bring out your mischievous side… then yes, I'd say that counts as being friends." Elli reasoned.

"Hmmm…. That does feel like sound logic…" Dr. Trenet replied with a curious nod.

* * *

_**Up next: Claire gets some honey for her new pal, Gray. But he isn't at the Blacksmith! What's going on?! Instead, she heads to the library to offer her gift to Mary. One tiny surprise comes in, and insanity insues. See what it is next chapter. ;)  
**_


	4. Three's Company Too

**Chapter 4: Three's Company, Too**

The Next day, after taking care of watering her newly-planted turnips, Farmer Claire decided to head to meet with her new friend, Mary, and maybe pick up some more farming tips from the library's vast resources after finding out the Blacksmith Shop momentarily close. In order to consummate their newfound friendship, she brought a fresh honey comb she found on a tree right by her house.

"It's a shame I couldn't meet with Gray again, today. I don't know if he's a sweet tooth, but I'd have figured that maybe trying out a sweet treat could help get him out of his slump. Oh well, I have a feeling Mary will like this more, anyway! Gray did tell me she doesn't get very many visitors, and it would be nice to have something to snack on while enjoying some quality reading! Yep, this should be just perfect to make that kindly librarian's day!" she reasoned to herself enthusiastically.

Once more, the lively blonde swung open the door leading to Mineral Town's primary source of knowledge.

"Hi, Mar--oh…"

Inside, she found a fairly attentive sitting by her desk as usually, but not too far away was a preoccupied Gray, who looked really focused on a book in his hands.

"Gray?!" she cried aloud.

The blacksmith's apprentice immediately lowered his book to exchange glances with the new arrival.

"Claire?" he uttered back.

"Oh, Claire! How nice of you to come by again! Gray and I were just talking about you!" Mary said.

Somehow, Claire noticed a subtle ounce of pep added to the librarian's usually shy demeanor, and again felt a tinge of awkwardness right before averting her eyes to Gray again.

"Um…yeah, nice to see you again, too…" Gray muttered before going back to his back.

"Oh, Gray, come on. We're all trying to be good friends here. The least we could do is spend this time together between the three of us." Mary reprimanded.

The observant Claire nodded to herself.

"Whoah… she certainly acts a differently with Gray around. They really must be close." She noted to herself.

A reluctantly, grumbling Gray decided to close his book and head off towards the direction of the young women.

"Alright, so I'm here. Now what?" Gray said.

Mary then put her attention back on the incoming farmer.

"Well, now that we're all gathered here, did you have some business with the library again? Or did you just want to talk?" she asked.

"Actually…"

Claire then pulled out the carefully preserved honey comb from a rucksack she wore on her back, and presented it to the duo.

"I wanted to share a snack with my new friends! And it was really convenient to reach you two in the same place!" she cheered.

The library duo gazed at the acquired comb with interest.

"…honey?" Mary uttered quietly.

"Honey?" Gray said with a hint of disgust.

"Yeah! Nothing better to get your taste buds jumping than with something sweet from Mother Nature, right?" Claire added.

"Wow… that is… pretty sweet of you! Ah…sorry fun the pun there." Mary replied in a very touched voice.

Claire's face lit up like a sun upon receiving approval.

"Thanks… but, uh, I don't really like sweet stuff…" Gray answered reluctantly.

"Oh come on! You're just afraid I pranked this comb with bees or something, huh? Really now! You gotta try the stuff before you start nay-saying it!" Claire grinned.

"No! Really! I--"

With dexterous hands quicker than the eye, Claire reached for a spoon hidden in a pocket of her rucksack, dug a good chunk of honey from within the comb, and spood-fed the massive portion into Gray's mouth before he said another word. After a few twitches, blinks, and a sudden gulp of sweetness, the dark deed was done. The ninja feeder's act of stealth and speed rewarded her with gags and retches. Suffice to say, Gray was not at all appeased.

"He was serious. Gray doesn't particularly like the taste of sweets…" Mary confirmed in an exasperated tone.

"Aw…. Really?!" Claire frowned.

After a few more rounds of gagging, Gray finally regained his composure.

"WHY WOULD I LIE TO YOU ABOUT SOMETHING LIKE THAT?!" Gray howled.

"Honestly, I thought were just nervous about trying something I brought over!" Claire argued.

"THAT DOESN'T GIVE YOU A REASON TO SHOVE IT IN MY MOUTH!"

"Waahhh!! Soryyyy!!" Claire bawled.

In the midst of the panic, the curious librarian took a finger, and stuck it in a comb hole to sample it herself. The look on her face suggested that she was savoring the taste.

"Mmmm…. From the perspective of non-discriminating taste buds, I'd have to say this honey's actually good!" Mary smiled.

Both Claire and Gray dropped their panicky moods in reaction to Mary's offered opinion.

And once more, the female farmer's face lit up.

"So I did pick a winner! My taste buds aren't broken after all!" Claire cried with joy.

"Nature's sweets happen to among the best." Mary grinned.

"Yeah, but it still doesn't make it taste any better to me…" Gary complained.

Mary sat by, looking a bit disappointed at her friend.

"Still… it wouldn't hurt to show some appreciation for poor Claire. "she lectured, "She meant it all out of good will, Gray."

The blacksmith apprentice grumbled for a long while until two pairs of puppy dog eyes started ganging up on him. Eventually, the poor young man was forced to give into their whims.

"Okay! Alright, already! Geez! I'm sorry! I didn't think my distaste for sweets would be this much trouble… even though Claire did shove it in my mouth like that and-"

"Gray…"

"Fine, fine! You didn't do anything…wrong… at all!" Gray answered in a shaky tone. "And… t-thank you, Claire. It was really nice of you."

"Yay! I've been thanked by Gray!" Claire cheered, right before proceeding the guy a really big hug.

"Gah! Not so tight!" Gray cried.

Mary couldn't help but giggle at this touching scene, and yet, she also couldn't help get an idea of her own.

"That looks nice. You think there might be room for one more in there?" she asked.

"Oh, sure! One more couldn't hurt! Besides, they say three's company!" Claire encouraged.

"No! Wait! Mary!" Gray said while having a red face having a vague distinction between embarrassment and loss of air.

But it could not be stopped, as the raven-haired librarian was already immersed in the three-way hug.

"Is this supposed to be a good thing?" a flustered Gray wondered while feeling plenty of weight on his shoulder.

And so, all three parties involved were caught up in a random scene of mirth, somehow due to words of thanks and a jar of honey. Despite the considerable lack of time spent together, an uncanny, yet beautiful friendship was quickly forming under this particularly unique trio: Gray the blunt apprentice, Mary the shy librarian, and of course, Claire the kooky farmer. The tree of them somehow drew an aura of happiness whenever they together. And yet, it was the karma of hidden, yet sudden emotion that also drew some other force towards them.

Eventually, after what seemed like forever, the two ladies decided to detached themselves from the awkward young man to give him some breathing room.

"Man… took you girls long enough." Gray said in exasperated breath.

Both Claire and Mary turned to each other with flushed faces, and then looked at Gray in an apologetic matter.

"Sorry about that…" both uttered in unison.


	5. The Library Gang

_I'd like to give thanks to the reviewers in these past few days: **supernae **(as usual :D)__**, StarrNight, Mase, and Cupcake Daydream!**_

_Thanks for the assists! I wasn't really expecting it for a nutty story like this, but maybe I'll start taking this thing a little more seriously because of it. But I won't take away the fun out of it, I promse! ;)_

_**StarrNight- **Um... actually, I slipped Mary in the summary earlier to imply the chance that this ends up being a Mary X Gray fic instead of a Gray X Claire fic, which would then leave this as a Claire X Doctor fic, you know? That's what love triangles/squares are all about. So I decided to fix it to clear up the confusion in the summary thanks to your input on it, so thanks. But you've given me an interesting idea on this whole Mary-Sue thing... it'll come up in a future Chapter, rest assured. Mwahaha... -breathes a sigh of relief-  
_

_But let's move on:_

* * *

**Chapter 5: The Library Gang**

After Mary partook few more spoonfuls of sweet, delectable honey, she gathered the odd threesome again at the desk with a new topic in hand.

"So, Claire… since we're in a library, and we happened to be surrounded by books, I just had to know: what is your favorite kind of stories, anyway?" Mary asked.

"Oh, wow… that's a really good question! And in the right kind of setting, too!" Claire replied.

At the side, Gray was drumming his fingers on the opposite arm.

"Well? Aren't you going to answer the question?" he asked rather bluntly.

"Gray…" Mary sighed.

Despite the rude tone, Claire shrugged the comment off completely.

"This may sound strange, but I really like children's books! Even right now! It's just all the nostalgia and the silliness that goes with them, you know? All the good stuff is already there without you having to overanalyze it! Just the kind of thing to look at without hurting your head!" Claire commented.

The librarian giggled.

"I see what you mean. All the big pictures, and the delightfully short, straight to the point sentences… it really does bring a good memory to look at those kind of books again after a good few years." She replied.

"I enjoy light reading in general, actually! With or without words… as long it's not too depressing. I know people keep telling me you that more of the really deep stuff is in depressing writing, but I just don't enjoy that sort of thing. That, and books with really confusing parts that make no sense whatsoever." Claire continued.

"So you read for happiness? That's a perfectly good reason." Mary noted.

"How about you, Mary?" Claire asked.

"Me? Well, um… personally, I myself like romance, fantasy, and mystery. Anything filled with a good amount of suspense in it except horror, really… unless it's on a really good night. It's usually so calm and peaceful around Mineral Town when there isn't a festival going on, so I use my reading as my source of excitement. It's a shame not so many people around here realize it, but literature holds many adventure for the eager reader!" Mary explained.

"Oh! So you're one of those romantic types, Mary? I guess that makes sense when you have that kind of imagination. All those thoughts of an epic love story that pits two against a world of evil… it must be hard for you to get bored!" Claire exclaimed.

"Ah…um… I don't think I'd quite put it THAT way…" a slightly flustered Mary replied.

"But… but that sounds so cool! You told me earlier you were working on a novel, right? I can't wait to see what it is like when it's finished!"

"H-honestly just an amateur's project. I doubt it'll be that good… I'm not even sure if it'll be worth publication upon it's completion… but if you really insist--"

"Say! That reminds me! Gray!"

The UMA hat man, who managed to keep himself out of the conversation for a long while, was finally forced to face the discussion at hand.

"…yes?" he uttered.

"How silly of me! We almost forgot about you! So… what's you're favorite kind of book, anyway?" Claire asked.

"What? My favorite book?" Gray said back.

"More specifically, your favorite variety of literature or story." Mary clarified.

"Oh, well that's better, because I'm not sure if I have any specific book I like." Gray replied.

After a long, hard thought, the grumpy cap-wearing wonder finally arrived at a conclusion.

"Well… I guess you could say I like mystery stories myself…

But usually the detective kind of mystery. I like more action-oriented, thriller-type stuff with well-timed suspense. Nothing too mushy, though. Romance and fluff in writing really rubs me the wrong way…" Gray confessed.

Mary instinctively reacted by turning her body slightly to the side and shaking a little.

"I… I don't mean to gripe at that sort of thing, it's just like how I don't like honey so much. It doesn't really fit my tastes." Gray argued.

"Understandable…" Mary squeaked.

"Oh, yeah. Speaking about books, that reminds me!" Gray suddenly said aloud.

Quickly, the UMA man took out a manila envelope and handed it back to the somewhat disheartened librarian.

"It… was really quite good. If I didn't know any better, I could've sworn w hat I just read was the work of a professional's." Gray mentioned. "Of course, I felt a little queasy with the hints of romance, but I did like how the relationship between the hero and heroine developed. A reader can really relate to them and feel for them." He commented.

"Really? That's…nice. I was worried it would've turned you off at first, that's why I warned you about it, but you were just so insistent upon looking at it."

"Hey, Gray… I thought you said… you liked more action-oriented suspense stuff…" Claire spoke aloud.

The pair turned to face the perplexed blonde.

"Well, yeah. Yeah I did. I was just about to get in to that. I just happen to like this part of it was written, that's all." Gray explained.

He then turned to Mary again to discuss her writing once more.

"So, yeah. The fight scenes were described very well, too. I felt like I was watching all those duels right in front of me. I didn't you had it in you." Gray continued.

"Ah, well… I've had plenty of inspiration to draw from for those chapters, so it just sort of flowed out, but I was worried sentence structure was too…awkward to accurately depict what I was going for. Thank you…" Mary replied.

As Claire watched the pair talk in earnest about Mary's manuscript, an immense

discomfort swelled from within her…

_"Gray…and Mary…. Get along that well, huh? But of course they would! They've known each other longer than they've known me… and they're likely childhood friends, so…. They'd have to be really close."_ She thought to herself.

The blonde farmer continued to watch the two in their personal discussion, feeling increasingly disoriented as she remained.

_"But they're both my new friends. I know they are. Gray may be a little rough around me, but he showed me some kindness… and Mary was actually quite kind to me from the beginning! I know that we're friends! The three of us! We shared that hug from earlier and everything! All…three of us…."_

And yet, the farmer could not help but sink deeper and deeper in thought.

_"No! I don't have any reason to be scared! This is silly…they're… they're my friends! We'll stick together like the Three Musketeers! That's how it will be from now on! I just know! I can't… I can't be scared! I don't even know why I feel this way, so it's too silly to be scared! So I…"_

"Claire?" a voice called out.

She was suddenly brought back to reality by none other than Mary, who was looking back right alongside an equally curious Gray.

"Ah… sorry! I must've let my daydreams get the best of me again!" Claire answered with a hearty laugh.

"Oh, alright…" Mary replied.

"Word of advice: you probably shouldn't go spacing off like that during work. It might end up doing you some harm." Gray mentioned.

"Gray…" Mary sighed once more.

"What? I'm just giving her warning. If she's prone to that sort of thing in her work time, it could be dangerous!"

The UMA Hat lad then felt a hand on her shoulder.

"I really didn't mind at all. Thanks for your concern, Gray…" Claire said with a warm smile.

For some reason, the blonde farmer was emitting a softer aura at that point than she was as her usual self, leaving a fairly confused Gray. She then turned her head to face Mary.

"I meant what I said earlier. I really want to say your story sometime. And if I have to wait until you're done, then I'll wait."

"Sure. As soon I have everything ready, you'll be the first to know." Mary assured her.

Claire nodded. "Thanks, Mary. In the mean time, I think I'll find something to read that's available right now."

"Then might I suggest the second shelf to the left, third row? That should be where your kind of books should be." Mary suggested.

Claire simply gave a nod of thanks before heading off to follow Mary's directions. This left both Gray and Mary to do some heavy duty pondering.

"Did… she just do a complete 180 with her personality?" Gray asked aloud.

Mary, however, could not answer. Instead, she was left to ponder the twinge of guilt she realized in her heart.

_"…Claire… I…"_

* * *

**Coming up next: TIME SKIP!! Nearly two weeks left, and Claire's made some money from her foraging and free crops! It's time for a purchase! And since Claire happens to be so fond a certain animal… It's a bit of a filler, but it's a necessary part of the Harvest Moon Experience! Find out Next Chapter just what animal she buys, and even what she names it! ;)**


	6. How Art Thou, Brown Cow?

_So, I'll be thanking **supernae** for yet another review! _

_Maybe this time, I'll be a little more patient on the update, but the last two were practically continuations of each other originally planned to be one Chapter, and I just felt I had to bring a new part of the story in soon. Sadly, it's not all that exciting, but it is a part of the Harvest Moon Experience that I decided to spruce up with some writing. Hope you enjoy it:_

* * *

**Chapter 6: How Art Thou, Brown Cow?**

Two weeks have passed since Claire joined the citizenry of Mineral Town. In that time, she foraged constantly for money and watered her free turnips in order to for them to grow. In her free time, she hangs out with either Gray, Mary, or the both of them in the morning, depending on their schedules. In the afternoon, she drops off a sample of colored grass to the good Doctor, while getting to know both him and the nurse she neglected to meet with during her first visit to the clinic. She's also come to meet the rest of the residents, and among them, has befriended the goofy yet affable Mayor Thomas, the confident beauty Karen, and a shy yet affable wanderer named Cliff. Eventually, she has caught wind of a mysterious entity named Ann whom she has was convinced was just as elusive as the Harvest Goddess herself, but she has yet to meet either. Why she has yet to meet an individual that nearly everyone else is familiar with remains a mystery. Instead, what is certain is through sheer effort and luck, she made just enough money to finally purchase a large animal. And so, with ample anticipation, the eager farmer headed straight towards Barley's Barn in order to lay claim to her first livestock…

"Yee-haw!" Claire cried as she bust open the doorway.

"Ah, so the prodigal girl has returned." A wizened voice proclaimed.

The lively blonde saw an elderly bald man with glasses right at the counter.

"Barley! Barley! Get this! I finally have enough money to buy an animal!" Claire squealed with joy.

"Is that so, little Claire?" Barley said with a hearty laugh, "Well, good golly! I knew all your hard work and perseverance would pay off eventually, and it looks like today's you're lucky day!"

"It sure is!" Claire grinned.

"So, what's it gonna be? Will you be going for a cute and cuddly sheep, or a big and purdy cow?" Barley asked.

Claire arrived at a crossroads she anticipated since the first time came to this place. Luckily, she did some in depth studying on the two animals and had a discussion with Mary before hand on the issue…

--

"_You know, it says here that sheep are generally less expensive than cows, and are easier to take care of for beginning farmers." Claire recited while staring in her animal info book._

"_Then a sheep sounds very much to your liking. I'm sure you'd also enjoy the fluffiness of its wool as relief when you get tired from the rest of the work around the farm." Mary mentioned._

"_That's a good point, but it also says that its fur takes a week to grow, and I won't be making much of a profit when starting out." Claire frowned._

"_Still, that just means less work and energy for you, right?" Mary noted._

"_I'm not sure if that will do me good though if I spend so much money on something for that slow of an income, though." Claire sighed, "On the other hand, Cows are more expensive, but can provide milk on a daily basis. They require a good deal more handling and feed, though."_

"_I suppose cows sound more statistically wiser according to the book, but the problem would be that initial price tag. Do you think you might be able to pull off that sort of earnings well before the summer?" Mary asked, "You might be best off getting some sort of animal before then, or you'll really fall behind."_

_Claire sighed._

"_I don't know. If I worked out the math right, it might take me about two weeks of thorough foraging to pull it off. Even then, I also have to be concerned about having enough left over for any other expense I need to take care of."_

"_Wow, that IS a big concern." Mary agreed. "I'm just surprised that you didn't decide to go with the chickens, first. I hear that's where most beginning farmers start off with."_

"_Um… I don't really like eggs, Mary." Claire stated._

"_Well then, you'd be making a lot more money that way if you're not interested in your product, right?" Mary noted._

"_Sure, but… I'd really like to try and use the product of the animal I raise every so often. That's what it means to have your own animal, right? To be able to use and enjoy what they have to offer for yourself?" Claire refuted._

"_Unfortunately, what you'll need to be "using" your animal's offering for most is income, since you're so low right now, and I'm really starting to get concerned…" Mary suggested sympathetically._

"_That's true, but… just not chickens for now. I really wanted to start off with a dream animal, and it's either a sheep or a cow." Claire sighed._

_The librarian then came up closer to her good friend and gently placed a hand on her shoulder with an assuring fine._

"_Then go with your heart, Claire. I'm sure you'll be fine with your choice regardless if you decide it in this manner."_

--

A few more seconds of last-minute pondering later, and the greenhorn farmer finally reached a firm decision.

"Okay then! I choose a cow!" Claire claimed dramatically.

She then proceeded to slam a big bag of gold right at Barley's desk, while the old man himself gazed at his earnings like an eager prospector.

"Well, howdy! It looks like we got ourselves a big first time spender! I heard no word from the Poultry Farm about you, so I assume this is your first livestock ever, right?" Barley asked.

"That's right, sir!" Claire answered back.

"That's a pretty brave choice, going for the big guns so soon, but I respect your decision! It might not be easy at first, but if you give the animal enough tender loving care, it should be offering you more money and happiness in return than you can ever imagine!" Barley mentioned.

"Yay! I'm gonna be a real cowgirl!" Claire cheered.

"So, little lady, what will you be naming your new darling?" Barley asked.

"Hmm… well…"

* * *

"So Claire, what did you decide to name your cow?" Mary asked after Claire returned to the library.

The eager blonde was in a fit of joyful giggles before she finally gave he answer.

"Her name is Epona!" she declared.

"Epona? But… doesn't that sound more like--"

"My first cow is a noble steer, Mary! A very noble steer! And I thought a cow like that deserved a very majestic sounding name!" Claire defended.

"Well, it's certainly a unique name… for a cow, at least." Mary replied shakily.

"I'm glad you think so!" Claire said. "So, now that I have a cow, I finally have an animal to milk, give me free rides whenever I want them, and maybe even tip when I get frustrated or something!"

"I don't think Epona will enjoy the tipping part." Mary warned.

"I was just kidding about the last part, silly!" Claire giggled, "Unless it was like, tipping it like you would a waiter! Say… how would I offer a cow that kind of tip, anyway? I doubt it would accept currency."

"Maybe adding some extra feed would suffice?" Mary suggested.

"Oh yeah! That could work!" Claire cried. "Oh man… I can't wait to try Epona's milk! I bet it will be delicious!"

"I look forward to trying Epona's milk, as well. I'm sure Gray will, too." Mary grinned.

"Right, right! If Gray will be willing to stomach any goods I can offer him, it better be milk! At least it isn't sweet like honey!" Claire agreed.

The affable pair shared yet another laugh together as they celebrated the purchase of Claire's first animal.

* * *

**Up Next: It's the Doctor... again. The two decide to talk a little about family matters in the form of Claire's Dad. And what's this whole deal with "Making Yourself Taller?". Disturbing reference aside, tune in Next Chapter!**


	7. Like Giraffes To A Flame

_Again, I'd like to thank **supernae** for sticking to the story and keeping that review button in check! So as promised, here's... Doctor!_

* * *

**Chapter 7: Like Giraffes to a Flame**

The next day, Claire decided to pay yet another visit to her good buddy, Doctor Trent, with colored grasses in hand. As usual, she swung the door open and made a bee-line straight the Doctor, this time not noticing that the nurse was not there at the time.

"Hey, what's up, doc?" Claire greeted doing a familiar impression while nibbling on some store-bought chocolate.

"I'm alright, thanks, but I don't think rabbits ever ate chocolate." Doctor Trent greeted back.

"Oh, then I assume you've never seen a Cadburry Bunny before?"

"A what?"

"Never mind… anyway, I brought you some grass as usual! This time, it shouldn't be too much of a problem because I got myself a mighty steer! And I decided to give mining a try and made some nice gold off of it!" Claire reported.

The jovial farmer handed in a sample of grass to the Doctor, who accepted it right on the spot.

"Thanks once again, Claire. So… your recent endeavor in mining must explain the Turbojolt you purchased yesterday. Elli me about it, and it made me curious."

"Yep! I think I'm starting to love mining so much, you can call me the "Miner '49er!"" Claire proclaimed.

"Isn't that the name of one of those Scooby Doo ghosts?"

"Oh, really? I didn't know that. I just that it was a really cute rhyme, and I happened to like the 49ers back when I lived in the city…" Claire explained.

"Really?" the Doctor asked.

The short-haired farmer nodded vigorously.

"Okay then. Unfortunately, I don't know how to smoothly segue that last bit into this topic, so I'll just have to be more direct." The Doctor started, "All this nostalgic talk about your father has really made me curious: how I'm like him and how it comforts you, but you've really never told me about him aside from how he is and what you've done together. For example, what does he do for a living now?"

"Actually, he's dead." Claire pointed out rather bluntly.

"Dead?" The Doctor repeated curiously.

"That's right, dead." Claire confirmed.

"Oh… well, I'm sorry for making this very awkward, Claire. It's just… you've always spoken of himself so vividly, I thought I'd be able to meet the man at any moment and possibly fear that he may see me as one of those dirty predators after his precious daughter and--"

"It's okay, it's okay! I don't mind talking about him at all! It' not exactly I spelled it out very clearly to you." Claire confessed, " Besides, I've been over it for awhile, and it's not like it was either of our faults for killing him! You don't need to be so paranoid about it, Doctor Death!"

Of course, the usage of the aforementioned nickname caused Doctor Trent to twitch.

"Sorry… Impulse."

"Impulse forgiven."

An uncomfortable silence passed briefly before the discussion could continue.

"So then, since your father is no longer with us in the land of the living, what did he do back when he was still around?" Doctor Trent asked.

"Um… actually…" Claire uttered as she started to think really hard. "Not much, really. He was a very nice guy, if you could tell by all those stories I told about him, but he wasn't doing to well in the work force. For the most part, it was Mom who ended up earning most of the payroll with what limited connections she had left, while Dad was hopping from job to job, either entering a company whom by some sheer run of bad luck was already on the verge of laying off its workers, or some other reason that ended up forcing him out. But he never gave up hope. Dad kept on trying to secure that one job that could help us out despite his poor background, and he always kept us smiling when he could. Maybe that's what Mom really loved about him, too…"

"Wow… he really does sound like a great man." Doctor Trent said in amazement.

"Yep, even towards the end, all he could think of is moving on and trying to improve himself. He even tried to make himself taller once."

"Make himself… taller? Is that a metaphor or something?" Doctor Trent asked.

"Actually, what he would do is grabbed a stool and a rope, and then tie the rope into a noose that he would hang high on the wall. He'd then stand up on the stool with the noose around his neck and--"

The full detail that Claire went into deeply disturbed the poor Doctor beyond composure.

"Dear Goddess…. Claire, I don't think your father was trying to make himself taller. That sort of process--"

But the poor doctor was interrupted by an uncontrollable fit of laughter.

"N-no! I'm sorry! I was just kidding! Don't worry; he never really did that sort of thing! He actually ended up dying of a disease… " Claire confessed while making it very clear that she was aware of the procedure she explained from before.

"Um… good. I was afraid at first that there might be more relevance to my Japanese nickname." The Doctor answered nervously.

"You're right. It's really just a saying Dad said when things look down. "Claire, always make yourself taller so you can wade over the troubles, instead of drowning in them." He would use to tell me. He always sounded really cool saying that, so I sometimes had these dreams of him being the Jolly Green giant, and carrying me around on his shoulder to show me the world while beating up Godzilla and King Kong." Claire explained.

"That actually would've been more convenient for your family. If your Dad had been the Jolly Green Giant, he'd likely have tenure as Company Mascot and you'd have a more secure income." The Doctor quipped.

"True…" Claire giggled, "but then I'd think Mom would have a harder time being all-lovey-dovey with Dad thanks to the size difference, and his funeral would've probably costed a whole lot more thanks to the land mass required to bury him."

"I thought giants were supposed to be immortal or something." The Doctor pondered.

"I'm not sure… weren't a lot of them killed off in mythology?" Claire asked.

"Well, if it's in mythology, then that means the stories isn't true, and the giants couldn't possibly have been killed off.

"Then wouldn't that mean giants don't exist to begin with?"

"No way! They're an official baseball team, geez!"

Again, the odd couple burst into a fit of laughter together.

"It's really strange. This was supposed to be a talk about your father's life, and all we seem to end up doing is bring ourselves into laughter…" the Doctor stated.

"I don't think he'll mind at all, really. In fact, I think he'd prefer it that way. He also used to tell me that he didn't want a depressing funeral when he died, and to celebrate his happy life, instead. The funeral ended up more fun that way, but it got really weird because of it." Claire answered.

Doctor Trent cocked an eyebrow.

"Weird? Like how?" he asked.

"Um… these guys in funny outfits showed up that I assumed were his friends. They were bawling and stuff during all of the speeches, but they really got down to partying after all the formal stuff. One of them was this really crazy guy wearing a long white wig and a giant plastic sword that called himself "Inuyasha the dog boy" or something like that." Claire explained while making really confused expressions.

"…Okay, you're right. Weird…" Doctor Trent agreed.

"But you know what? Maybe that's how they try to made themselves taller for Dad's death by being all goofy-looking and lightening the mood. That does sound like what he wanted out of the funeral, anyway." Claire recalled with a smile.

Doctor Trent gave a nod back and a brief smile of his own, before miraculously going back into his serious face.

"So… do you also happen to see me in this interesting light, being like your father somehow?" Doctor Trent asked.

"Um… I'm not sure quite like that. You're very kind and dedicated like Dad, but you're usually more on the serious side while Dad was more on the cheerful side around me. But maybe he was more serious like you at work when I wasn't looking." Claire theorized. "But I think I may have inherited more from Dad them Mom. The guys at the funeral said I seem to have a lot of his pep." Claire replied.

"So… in some twisted logic, the two of us might actually have a lot in common because from you're perception, we're both like your dad?" Doctor Trent proposed.

"Works for me." Claire said with a shrug.

"Yes, isn't that nice? Having a friend that you actually might have a lot in common with?" a mysterious voice called out eerily behind the pair.

Doctor Trent nearly leapt out of his seat from shock while Claire simply turned around with a grin.

"Hiya, Elli!" Claire greeted cheerfully.

"Good Evening, Miss Kafka!" Elli greeted back with equal cheer.

The ninja-like nurse then turned towards the Doctor with an even wider grin that started making him rather nervous.

"See, Doctor? It doesn't hurt to rest and take a load off every once in awhile, does it? This most certainly goes to show that there is a whole lot more to you than your work. Didn't that little talk with Claire feel just fine?" she asked with an excessive tone of sweetness in her voice.

"Y-yes, Elli. I suppose it did me wonders…" Doctor Trent replied shakily.

The sweet nurse then turned her attention towards Claire once again and breathed a sigh of relief.

"I'm really thankful that you could come over and give Doctor Trent your time, really. It's just, sometimes I'm worried he takes his work too seriously that he may wind himself up into a tizzy. It's especially hard as his nurse to get him to relax… I feel like my presence as his trusted partner only encourages to work even harder." Elli explained.

"Glad to be of help, Nurse Elli!" Claire replied with a solute.

Elli then uncovered a plate she had in her grasp.

"I just got back from baby-sitting little Stu after making a fresh batch of cookies with him. I had a feeling you might appreciated the treat."

"Oooh! Cookies!" Claire exclaimed right as she dug into them.

"Did you carefully measure out the ingredients so as not to use excessive sugar?" Doctor Trent asked.

"Don't worry, they're just fine!" his nurse assured them.

With a little more coaxing, the good doctor decided to try one for himself, and, more or less, approved of the taste.

In the end, Claire's routine meeting with Doctor concluded with sweet, delicious cookies.

* * *

**Coming Up Next: Claire is offered a promise of ultimate power by the most unlikely of sources... will she succumb to temptation to achieve omnipotence? Find out next Chapter!**

**Oh, and I thank _StarrNight_ for the inspiration behind this coming chapter! Thanks for the idea, even if it isn't quite how you'd expect it to be used.**


	8. An Uncalled For Destiny

_Okay, here's the new Chapter! I'll be thanking **supernae** as usual, and a big welcome back to **Starrnight** who returned just in time for a Chapter she helped inspire! It would be neat if some of the other reviewers returned, but what can you do? -sigh- Anyway, here we go!_

* * *

**Chapter 8: An Uncalled for Destiny**

The following morning, the earnest farmer received an urgent letter from Saibara the blacksmith to see him right away. Despite not knowing exactly why, she still proceeded to meet with.

The cautious, yet curious Claire slowly opened the door to see the aged man himself standing right by the counter.

"Ah, Miss Claire Kafka! So good of you to comply!" he greeted.

"…Thanks?" Claire said back. "So, what is it you wanted to see me for, Mr. Saibara? I already got all my tools in order."

The old blacksmith gave a hearty laugh, amused by the farmer's initial doubt.

"No, my dear! This has nothing to do with your precious farming tools!" he stated.

"Then… what is it? Is this about your grandson? Because if it is, I could just stop bothering Gray if I'm distracting him from his work and--"

"This isn't about Gray, either." Saibara interrupted.

"Then… then what?"

The wizened man walked slowly and surely towards blonde farmer, then placed a firm hand on her shoulder.

"Claire, I have decided… since Gray doesn't seem at all interested in learning a treasured family tradition, and you have the perfect drive to perfect it, I decided that I shall tutor you in the ways of Hokuto Shinken." Saibara announced.

"WHAT?!"

Do not be afraid, Claire. Hokuto Shinken is a special art passed down only to the worthy, and I can tell from what I see that you are quite worthy." The blacksmith assured her.

"H-h-h-Hokuto Shinken? I-isn't that the thing that Gray keeps complaining about while never getting the name right?" Claire thought to herself.

"Trust me," Saibara chuckled, "you will grow to love Hokuto Shinken. It is among the ultimate martial arts, so its allure is irresistible."

This sudden news brought the nervous farmer great distress.

"But I've never trained in martial arts! I'm not even that physically fit! And how am I suppose to handle something as violent as that when blood makes me squeamish?!" she thought.

"Do not deny your potential, Claire. I can feel it quite clearly. Accept, and I shall make you a Mary-Sue: one of the most powerful beings in existence."

Somehow, this promise of omnipotent power only made Claire even more unwilling to accept Saibara's proposal.

"I can teach you many great things, and the results will be substantial. After undergoing the proper training, that child-like, underdeveloped body of yours shall transform into that of a radiant goddess'! I shall teach you marvelous techniques, such as being able to punch multiple times at once at lighting-fast speeds, and making heads explode! Your opponents will be dead before they even realize it! You shall be an invincible kung-fu mistress!" Saibara ranted.

Claire's body quaked with fear and uncertainty after hearing Saibara's intense speech. Hesitation and Anticipation flooded the girl's heart and mind as she contemplated the offer and its promises. Part of her could not deny the elderly blacksmith's powerful, authoritative presence that seemingly loomed over her despite his short stature; however, her relative sanity thought otherwise.

"I CAN'T DO IT!!" she cried in a panic as she swiftly fled from the house.

After the farmer's response, Saibara snatched a cup of tea on his desk and sipped it calmly.

"A shame, for now. But that girl will realize the truth, eventually. She cannot escape her destiny forever, and when the time comes when she is ready, I will be here waiting…" he said aloud.

* * *

"YOUR GRANDPA IS SCARY!!"

At the local Inn, Claire was preoccupied bawling streams in the presence of Gray.

"I warned you never to go near Grandpa when his senility is at its highest, didn't I?" he groaned.

* * *

**Next Chapter: Claire, with only the minimal tools, her beginning stamina, and lots of Black Grass, attempts to make it to the bottom floor of the Spring Mine! Can her unrealized potential help her see through her goal? Will she actually make it? Or should she have waited for Gray to join her as she originally planned? Find out next time!**


	9. The Underground Queen

**Chapter 9: The Underground Queen**

On one bright day, after getting done with her usual chores, Claire suddenly developed a certain hunger. It was a kind of hunger usually denied by the meek and humble, but thoroughly embraced the brave and curious. It was an uncanny hunger that afflicted many great figures both historical and fictional: it was the thirst for adventure.

On that day, Claire packed plenty of spare grasses along with a big jar of Bodigizer to accompany her trusty tool: the iron hoe. With everything prepared, she head out towards the Blacksmith to meet with an old cap-wearing friend of hers.

"Er… Good Morning, Mr. Saibara." Claire greeted.

"Ah, Good Morning, Claire! Have you finally decided to embrace destiny and accept the tutelage and power of Hokuto Shinken? Or do you have plans to upgrade a tool today?" Saibara asked.

"…N-neither." Claire gulped, "I was just wondering if Gray was available today for an adventure? I'm going mining today!"

"Sadly, no. He is not." Saibara answered. "You see, I see today as an excellent opportunity to really test his mettle, so he shall be quite busy this time."

"Oh… that bites." Claire sighed. "Well, if he happens to find the time anyway, can you tell him where I'm heading? This time I'm going to try and make it big: I'm aiming for the bottom floor!"

"The bottom floor, eh? You're quite brave… and with minimal tools, as well. I at least hope you're well-stocked."

"Oh, I'm well-stocked alright! I got plenty of grasses and stuff to keep me going for the day! And if I happen to run out of short supply, I just use my trusty instincts and dig up a mine grass! After a few short outings alone, I found out that the mine is full of the black stuff!"

"Ah, a resourceful girl as well, eh? Amazing. Still, I shall respect your wishes and let him know." Saibara replied.

"Good! Maybe he can catch me before I make it! It would be cool to have somebody else with me when I make my big triumph! Well, see ya later, Mr. Saibiara!" Claire cried.

She then rushed out full steam ahead towards the local mine, leaving a curious Saibara to ponder to himself once more.

"Stubborn girl," he scoffed, "Eventually she WILL become my apprentice. The spirit of Hokuto Shinken is Immortal, and always finds its way towards a worthy successor."

Right outside the mine, a very eager Claire anticipated her upcoming adventure with a hard hat on.

"Ooh… this is going to be so cool!" she squealed. "Finally, after getting to understand the mine in my own time, I shall explore all 255 floors of the mine and reach the bottom!"

--

After bouncing up and down like a restless puppy for a few minutes, an image of a familiar "UMA" hat filled her mind.

"Man… I still kinda wish Gray were here to join me on my greatest endeavor in Mineral Town." She sighed.

However, her considerably shortened attention span at the time had removed this deep regret of hers in an instant.

"Oh well… I'm off to get some ores and reach the bottom of the mine! He'll just have to catch up by himself!" she simply said.

"Bottom of the mine… HERE I COME!!"

--

Hours later, Gray had finally finished his project for the day, but the town has yet to hear any word of Claire.

"Say, Grandpa." Gray asked in the store, "Did Claire happen to come by today? She told me she would be inviting me to a big surprise for the afternoon."

"Why yes, my Grandson. She did." Patient Saibara stated.

"Well? Out with it old man, what did she ask?" Gray demanded.

"Patience, Grandson." Saibara stated solemnly. "Your companion Claire had come by, wanting me to tell you that she'd be going to the mines today to reach the bottom floor."

"WHAT?!" Gray cried.

The young apprentices' hands clenched into cold, hard fists.

"Did she even have you upgrade her hoe and hammer before she decided to try that kind of thing?"

Saibara shook his head.

"No she did not. However, what this shows me is that her uncanny tenacity far outmatches your own. Clearly she would be a far more worthy heir to me than you have been to me."

The disgruntled apprentice gave a deep snarl.

"Don't give me that crap, Grandpa! I don't have time to be fed an Inferiority Complex right now!" he cried as he headed straight out the door.

"You shouldn't be in so much of a panic. The girl prepared well, and she clearly posses a far greater sense of survival than your own."

"AAAUGGHHH!!"

Gray didn't even bother saying his farewells to this Grandpa as he slammed the door out of rage.

"That poor whelp could never recognize greatness when it's staring him in the face…" Saibara uttered in disgust.

In a matter of moments, the desperate apprentice made it into the mines, only to spot a hole leading deeper.

:"I hope she hasn't made it too far in…" Gray said aloud.

--

150 floors deeper into the cave, Gray still saw no sign of her energetic gal pal.

"No way… just how much stamina does that girl have, anyway?"

--

Meanwhile, on the floor that she just so happened to be on, the work-weary Claire was still digging away with the last of her strength.

"254…floors…just…one…more…to go." She spoke aloud in exasperation.

The determined miner had already used up all of her supplies at this point, so there was little room for error on her part. She had already dug so much ground around her, yet there was still no sign of an opening that finally led to the bottom. Her chances of success looked slim.

"Just…one…more…spot."

Claire chose one of the very few clean spots remaining and began to dig away with her hoe. After a few digs, the ground started to give way, revealing a small opening.

"Ah, this is… it! Just a little more… just a little more and… finally, I can reach… the bottom!"

The excited young girl lift her hoe above her head, and stroke the ground one more time… just before passing out with a silly smile on her face.

--

Later that night, Gray had managed to climb up all 254 floors to deliver the unconscious farmer in the hospital.

"Please take good care of her, Doctor. This crazy really wore herself out trying to reach the mine's final floor." He requested.

"Will do." Doctor Trent replied with a nod.

Gray then laid the patient carefully on the bed, and gave a long sigh.

"Night, folks." He said as he tipped his hat and departed from the hospital.

This left the patient in question in the eyes of the reliable doctor and his trusted nurse.

"Before we leave her alone for the night, we might as well check for any external and internal injuries." Doctor Trent suggested.

Nurse Elli nodded.

"Good idea. But first thing's first."

She then held out a hand while giving the doctor a very suggestive look.

"Alright, Fine…" Doctor Trent groaned.

The irritated doctor took out a small sack of gold in his pocket and placed it straight onto the nurse's hand.

"See, I just knew Claire's first case of exhaustion would be from overexerting herself in the mines." She said proudly.

"Darn… and all this time, I'd swear she'd first pass out from farm work for being a rookie. I may have underestimated Miss Kafka… and overestimated my luck."

* * *

**Coming up, Claire's finally absent for a Chapter!? Yup, it's just Doctor and Elli alone at the office after a hard day's work. Just what could be going on? And why does the nurse keep pushing Claire on the Doctor? Find out next time, and I hope you really like it. It's my most favorite chapter to write! **


	10. Hello Nurse

Once again, I'd like to thank supernae for sending in a review! Thanks guys! Now, onward to one of my most favorite chapters yet!! 

**

* * *

**

Chapter 10: Hello Nurse

It was yet another day at the Clinic, but the usual farmer hadn't shown up yet. This ended up leaving the good Doctor and his nurse alone together for a substantial length.

"It's been yet another smooth day at the office hasn't it, Doctor?" Elli said.

"It looks like it is," the Doctor replied, "None of my viral samples escaped, Lilia's check-up went smoothly, and all my files are in order. I'd say you're right."

"Then how about we take this time for a mini-celebration? Maybe we could take a load off and do something relaxing together for once?" Elli suggested with a nudge.

"Come now, Elli. You know there's still so much work left to take care of, even after the office hours. Besides, that one single Wednesday of the week is more than enough to tie me over for break time, and if that still doesn't settle your nerves, I have all the festival days in the year to rest." Doctor Trent explained.

"That…that still isn't enough. What about the occasional emergency that pops on your days off? That could always cut into your break time!" Elli argued.

"Relax, Elli. You know I try and keep myself at a careful pace when I'm pre-occupied. It wouldn't be productive to exhaust myself on duty." Doctor Trent assured his assistant.

"I still don't think that's enough…" Elli sighed.

"In any case, you're most certainly right about today… for the most part."

"For the most part?" Elli repeated, "What do you mean?"

"Well," Doctor Trent began.

He gave the front door a suspicious glance, then eyed a nearby clock with similar intensity.

"I must admit: I find it strange that Claire hasn't arrived with her usual sample of grass in the early afternoon. I'd have not seen as big a concern if we had not established this agreement, but she's been far too diligent to make one day's absence barely noticeable." The Doctor confessed.

"Just one day, Doctor? Don't be silly. If it was a weeklong absence, then I'd be concerned, but one day is nothing to have a cow about," Elli argued, "She's most likely out spending the day with Mary and/or Gray. The three of them have become really great friends despite Gray's rough attitude. I'm sure she'll come by with extra tomorrow to make up for today's missed batch."

"You have a point…" Doctor Trent said with a nod.

"And if that is the case, I'd have to say that girl has the right idea! Even a hardworking farmer like her is willing to deviate from daily routine just to enjoy herself! That's a big life lesson you could use, Doctor!"

"But some life lessons out-prioritize others." Doctor Trent simply stated with a shrug.

"It shouldn't be the case for this one!" Elli insisted.

The two met with intense, opposing stares for a good long while, before they both diverted their eyes and groaned.

"Well, since we're on the topic of Claire, I'd like to know: What do you think of her now?" the curious nurse asked.

The Japanese-proclaimed Doctor of Death stared back at her quizzically.

"What?"

"You two have grown pretty close in the past few weeks, probably not as close as she is with her other best friends, but close enough I'd say. As your longtime nurse and partner, I'd really like to know how it is now." Elli explained with a grin.

"Are you planning something with this?" Doctor Trent asked with a suspicious glance.

"H-hey now! This is a perfectly innocent question between friends!" Elli defended herself.

Doctor Trent refused to drop his glare of suspicion for just a brief moment before casually discarding it.

"She's alright, I suppose. By some incredible instinct, she knows how to relieve the tension when the air is thick with it. I suspect there is some reason behind it, but that simply tells me she must have some life experience that keeps her going. However, that seems to make her prone to recklessness at the same time." He shared.

"…You really don't hold back, do you?" Elli sighed.

"Have I ever?"

"N-no… I suppose not. But I do notice that she's actually able to get you to lighten up on occasion."

"She has a couple of interesting stories in mind, and she's really good at showing herself. In that regards, I could say she has something in common with you in the later sense." Doctor Trent.

"Really?" Elli spoke up.

"Actually, while I remember you stating that I have much in common with Miss Kafka, she may in fact have much more in common with you."

"Oh! Well that's… that's a very interesting observation!" Elli replied with a shaky laugh. "I never really thought of us to be so similar."

"On the surface, yes. But when someone gets familiar with the both of you in his own time, the similarities are crystal clear: Open, Earnest, Affable, Hardworking… I'd say the two of you were cut from the same mold. Heck, if the two of you looked alike, you'd both be practically twins, body and soul." Doctor Trent commented.

"How about that?" Elli said with a weirded out expression. "But that does bring us to a good point: looks. What do you think of the new girl regarding her physical appearance?"

"I'd say… she's cute." He simply stated.

" "Cute"? Like in what way, please be more specific, Doctor." Elli insisted impatiently.

"Um… I guess cute in a "high school girl little sister" kind of cute. The kind someone would be naturally compelled to look out for." He replied.

The faithful nurse's face lit up with deep curiosity, aside from another inexplicable emotion.

"Really? That's how you think of her?" Elli pressed.

"Sure, that's how I generally think of her. Although I will admit that she has this uncanny mature side that seems to come out on a whim that somehow strikes me as a "natural beauty", but usually she's like a charming little sister that I enjoy looking after."

Elli was somehow taken aback by the Doctor's answer, but otherwise felt fine with it.

"I see… then, what about me?"

"You, Elli?" Doctor Trent tried to confirm.

Elli gave a single nod.

"I'm amazed, Elli. You seem particularly bold today." Doctor Trent stated, sounding quite impressed.

"Yeah… I…I just thought I might as well see how far I could go with this discussion and decided to take this turn. I-if you don't mind, of course, Doctor. I don't mean to intrude on your private thoughts." Elli stammered.

"I don't mind," Doctor Trent began, "But if you insist… I'd have to say that you are quite the adorable assistant."

"…Adorable?" Elli repeated with a blank look.

"Yes. "Adorable."" He confirmed, "Like the adorable, old-fashioned sort of housewife that has an uncanny way of warming the heart of a weary man after hard day."

Elli's face then became thoroughly red and confused.

"…Doctor?"

"You know what? I must say that it has been a great pleasure having a lovely farmer being my assistant for the day."

"I-It was a pleasure, Doctor!" a flushed Elli replied, "I was glad to--what?"

"Yes, I'm thoroughly impressed. Even though this was your first time handling the job, you performed quite professionally." Doctor Trent continued.

The young nursed started back at him with heavy doubt.

"W-what are you talking about?" she asked shakily.

"As I said, I am thanking you for your first-time assistance. Now, if you will please hand me those spare contacts, Miss Kafka?" he requested with a casual smile.

"Elli" shook in her big blue dress before she reluctantly removed her pair of brown pupils, revealing blue ones in their place.

"How did you know it was me?" she asked.

"First of all, you and Elli have the same haircut. Secondly, I retained my suspicions about you being gone for the whole day. I'd also have to say that Elli seemed unusually pleased at flattery directed towards the farmer." Doctor Trent deduced.

The now-brunette Claire was laughing most nervously at the scene of the crime.

"Now, if I may insist, you take a look at the leftmost cupboard. There should be a blonde hair dye that should get your color back to normal." Doctor Trent instructed.

"No, no, that's okay, Doctor. This kind of dye is easily washable." Claire explained. "I'll wash it off when I get home."

"Then please take care, Miss Kafka. Sadly, it's that time again where I have to close up."

"Okay…." Claire droned with a deep sigh.

"By the way, shall you be leaving that dress for Elli as a return?" Doctor Trent asked.

"No… she said I was welcome to keep it. This spare anyway, but I actually kinda like it." Claire shared.

"Very well then. In any case, it was a pleasure having this discussion, Miss Kafka. Good Night."

"Later, Doctor Trent." Claire said back with a small side.

After the thoroughly-disguised farmer left the clinic, Doctor Trent resumed his after-hour duties. But not before tying up a few loose ends.

"Elli, you can come out now. I know you put Miss Kafka up to it."

The original nurse herself froze as she was crawling to make her stealthy escape. Knowing it was now useless, she got up and walked towards the perceptive doctor.

"I'm sorry, Doctor. I just felt that it was necessary." Elli sighed.

"If you wanted to know all of this for yourself, you could've just asked me directly... instead of coming up with this convoluted plan." Doctor Trent groaned.

"But Claire deserved hear all of this herself... from your own mouth!" Elli declared. "She's been really good to you these past two weeks, yet you really share anything about yourself aside from anything work related!"

"Two weeks is hardly enough time or excuse for me to get into those details so willingly." Doctor Trent argued.

"That's not fair! Poor Claire's been sharing herself with you all this time! You said so yourself!"

"True…"

"And besides, you did just the same today if I heard correctly! Unless you were countering us by trying to pull the wool over our eyes!" Elli accused.

"No, I was actually being quite honest about the two of you." Doctor Trent stated.

This time, it was the genuine Elli's turn to blush, but it lasted very briefly.

"A-anyway… if you insist that Claire is so cute, it wouldn't hurt to build on that relationship. Maybe make something of it." Elli suggested.

"What about you?"

"O-or me… if you'd really rather have it that way…but I really do see something strong and deep in you when she's around." Elli shared.

"What are you talking about? You're just as valid at brightening up the day is Miss Kafka is." Doctor Trent insisted.

Elli's face turned ever redder.

"D-doctor?"

"If I didn't know any better, it sounds like you're trying to set me up with Miss Kafka and now you're struggling to go through with it because I've been complimenting you so much."

"W-w-what? That's… that's nonsense, Doctor!" Elli refuted shakily.

"Fair enough." The Doctor shrugged, "How about we just forgot today ever happened and just call it a night?"

"...I'll agree to it."

"Then it's settled. Today was nothing but a work of fiction, if it ever occurred at all."

"I'll just check upstairs one more time and fix the beds of they need tidying." Elli said aloud before heading up the stairs.

"Thanks, Elli! I appreciate it!" Doctor Trent cried back.

After the exchange, the diligent doctor looked back at his paperwork with an uncanny smirk.

"I knew my previous aspiration to be a detective would pay off for me in the long run." He thought to himself.

His eyes then wandered towards a clear photograph of his trusted assistant, and afterwards, a window showing the setting sun that lit the sky in a familiar shade of gold.

"Those two really are a lot alike…"

* * *

**_So, how long have you guys been waiting for the drama? Because finally, emotions are about the get high! That's right, the drama is just about to arrive! But first... Gray has a mayonnaise fettish?! Find out what that's all about next chapter! ;)_**


	11. Ring Around The Rosie

_Alright! Another round of thanks to **supernae** for her constant reviews! Keep it up! A few new guys wouldn't hurt either! Anyway, let the fun begin!_

* * *

**Chapter 11: Ring Around the Rosie**

Today happened to be the apprentice blacksmith's day off, so the chipper farmer decided to pay him a visit in his room at the Inn.

"I know I've said it a dozen times already, but I gotta say it again: you have a really nice room, here! Seriously, this place feels way more accommodating than my farm house, and it's supposed to be more spacious!" Claire complimented.

"Thanks… again." Gray replied flatly. "Well, since you're here, and you've been with me for awhile, there are a few questions that I haven't gotten around to ask, and I'd like to ask them now."

"Ah, neat! So now you finally wanted to know a little more about me?" Claire asked.

"Sort of… this is more like me playing detective in case I have to deal with any dirt in the future."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Let's begin…" Gray stated solemnly.

The gruff apprentice gave a loud and clear cough before he initiated his questionnaire.

"Did you have anybody in your past that either broke your heart, either an ex-boyfriend or some longtime crush?"

"Nope. I've been single practically my entire life and don't mind at all."

"Okay, since you're single, how about any case of rape, incest, or anything pertaining to vulgar sexual harassment?"

"No! I'm a virgin and only child here! If you want proof, have Doctor Trent test me or something! Yeesh!"

"Not necessary, I have reason enough to trust you. So, any abusive or intolerable parents?"

"I loved them, and they took care of me just fine, thank you very much!"

"Any lost loved ones?"

"My Dad… but I've been over that for awhile. Actually, he kinda prepared me for it. Is that cheating?"

"No, not really. Moving on: any lasting childhood trauma triggered by any sort of natural phenomenon; be it rain, earthquake, lightening or whatever?"

"No. And I actually think lightening is pretty cool! And really loud and bright!"

"Thank you for stating the obvious… but I got one more: any other sort of past issue not addressed by the previous questions?"

"Oh! Like my Grandpa that disowned Mom?"

"AHA! So you weren't kidding about that!"

"Ah-I-er-uh….."

Claire kept on babbling incoherently while Gray gave the poor girl the evil eye.

"I admit, that random statement you made when we first met bothered me a little, and I wasn't sure what that was all about. But since that came to the forefront: Talk. Now." He demanded.

"Hey! I don't want to give you any more reason to badmouth your Grandpa just because of mine! I'm under the full belief that all Grandpas aren't evil! Maybe strict and senile… but not evil!" Claire argued.

"So are you saying yours ways?" Gray asked while raising an eyebrow.

"NO! I don't know all the details, but I honestly don't think he did it just to be a tool!" Claire defended.

"Alright, then. Explain his case… go ahead." Gray huffed.

"Okay, okay… fine, Mr. Bad Cop. But only since I'm worried about what you might do otherwise." Claire huffed.

The female farmer chose to clear her throat before going into explanation.

"You see, my Grandpa on my Mom's side is this high society traditionalist who lost Grandma to illness. The guy was practically by his lonesome while looking out for his company as well as Mom, who was his only child. Eventually, Mom met and fell in love with Dad, but it became an issue because Mom's this company heiress and Dad's this nobody who came out of nowhere without a way to provide. Things got really intense when Grandpa found out Mom was pregnant with me, and since my Grandpa's all about "honor and tradition", she disowned her and my family ended up having to work really hard to make ends meet." Claire blurted out.

Gray stared in amazement as Claire tried to recover her breath.

"Okay, so you can be more talkative than Manna when given the proper incentive. But your Grandpa still sounds like a tool to me." Gray replied.

"I'm not finished yet!" Claire shouted.

"Fine, what else do you have to say about it?" Gray asked forcibly.

Claire took a few more breaths before she resumed her story.

"Mom told me that the company's board had another proposition before Grandpa made his choice, and it was for her to have an abortion and to separate Mom and Dad forever by marrying her off to some other rich guy." She concluded.

Gray stood in place with a very contemplative look on face.

"Wow…" he simply uttered.

"Yeah, that's right." Claire said with a confident air her voice. "I don't know for sure why exactly Grandpa had disowned Mom, but for whatever reason, he did. And that decision not only kept Mom and Dad together, it also saved my life!"

"So, if your Grandfather intended to keep your Mom as part of the family, you've could've been…?"

"Yes! And I don't care that my family started out with much less than everyone else! My family was awesome because we loved each other!" Claire stated proudly.

Gray was then utterly dumbstruck at the sudden logic his blonde friend presented.

"Listen, I already told Mary about the whole thing awhile ago! I just wasn't sure if you'd handle it properly, and I was afraid you'd start a violent campaign against all the Grandpas in the entire world thanks to me! Frankly, I don't care if Grandpa was trying to be a meanie back then! He ended up doing something really nice for Mom in the end, anyway! And besides, it's all in the past now! It would be really silly do moan over something I couldn't do anything about."

"…You could've died in your Mom's womb before anyone found out anything." Gray grimly suggested.

"Well Gray, I think it would be really hard for a fetus to be a suicidal emo, don't you?" Claire fought back.

Gray tried hard to stifle his chuckling while Claire did a much worse job at suppressing her own laughter.

"But honestly, I think you could give your own crazy Grandpa some credit where it's due. Sure, obsession over kung fu bugs you and the promise of ultimate power he gave me was really REALLY disturbing, but I can tell he really means well, and I'm sure you can, too."

"That still doesn't give the old man a reason to pile on the crap, just because he thinks it's tough love." Gray scoffed, "I told you I'd keep going at it, but Grandpa still refuses to tell me anything I'm doing right. He doesn't even give me hints or any kind of help. All he does it criticize and expect me to figure it out like a psychic."

"At least he's allowing you to stay at your own inn so you don't have to deal with him 24/7!" Claire said.

"Yeah, but he's still a jerk…"

"But you know how he is and what he's like! I can't really say for sure what kind of person Grandpa is! Say, if you really think that mine is a complete tool, than just consider yourself lucky about yours! He actually spends time with you and uses it to tutor you at work! I mean, do you WANT to be a Blacksmith?"

"Yes. That's why Grandpa's teaching me." Gray answered.

"Then count yourself lucky."

"But frankly, he's a horrible teacher, and I've known better ones out there than him."

"Um… but he's teaching you for free?"

"Sure, but I could always do a free internship somewhere else. The reason I'm mostly sticking around here is because of Ma...mayonnaise."

"Mayonnaise? What kind of reason to stay in a town is that?"

"Don't speak badly of Ma…mayonnaise! The local market happens to supply a really great brand, and I was hoping you'd finally buy a chicken so I could taste fresh-made stuff for once!" Gray argued.

"Wow… you must really love Mineral Town Mayonnaise…" Claire uttered in amazement.

"Damn straight, I do!" Gray shakily declared with a nod.

Claire momentarily delivered unto Gray a long, awkward stare, which made the usually composed apprentice start to sweat.

"Gray, seriously. I'm sure you have a few reasons to like your Grandpa… or at least tolerate him on some level. All that criticism he's giving you must mean that he's shaping you up to be the blest Blacksmith you can be. If he can't learn to look at the bright side, that shouldn't mean you should learn to do the same." Claire suggested.

"Hmph. Honesty Claire, I tend to question your odd logic most of the time." Gray scoffed, "I'd be more liable to believe you if you had any backing to support your claims, but unfortunately all of it sounds like a bunch of convenient excuses. However, I will admit that there are a few solids gems in your optimistic madness."

"Really?" Claire cried hopefully.

Gray nodded.

"At least there are moments where you sound like you know what you're talking about…"

"That's because most of it was based on life lessons taught to me by my own parents!" Claire proclaimed. "And if it wasn't, I was just making it up and hoping I sounded convincing enough!"

"Fair enough. This doesn't mean that I'm going to start being giddy and bright now, you know. I'm not about to leave my life up to all the goodness in the world and think like a hippy. In fact, your chipper nature scares me a little. But I could try this whole "looking at things from another angle" deal. That's the most sensible thing you've told me since you first got here." Gray rationalized.

A soft smile suddenly formed on Claire's face for the brief stint of praise she received.

"Wow… so my incessant ranting did accomplish something after all!"

"Sure." Gray shrugged.

Just before Claire could go into party mode, she recalled a wondering thought.

"Say, why did you ask me all of those questions and practically run a background check on me in the first place?" she asked.

"Good point." Gray started, "Mineral Town happens to get quite a few city slickers in the seasons with their issues to deal with, and it tends to cause some unneeded trouble around here. Actually, one of the last city folk here tried to run the old farm before you."

"Seriously?" Claire asked in anticipation.

"Yep. The last one we had was called Blaire. We used to fight a lot, and she'd accuse Mary of being a schizophrenic snob. That girl would always walk around acting like she was hot shit, but then she'd get drunk every few nights and rant her problems to me like she was crying home to dear old daddy. She finally decided to give up after a few weeks when she realized she wasn't getting anything done and that she couldn't seduce any of the guys around town. Good riddance to her."

"Yikes! She certainly sounds… difficult." Claire said nervously.

"She was, and if for some reason you start becoming like her, I swear that I'll run you out of town without warning." Gray warned.

"Ah… understood!" Claire gulped.

"In any case… I guess I could thank you… for making friends with Mary, I mean."

"Huh?"

"Mary… that poor librarian doesn't get out very often when it's not with her parents, and barely anyone besides the two of us visits her library on a regular basis, so she doesn't make very many friends. It makes me so mad that the other girls around here can't take much of their time to befriend her, so I'm really glad you chose to do it so willingly. I don't think I've seen her so happy and relieved before. She's become a little more assertive around me lately, but I think I actually kind of like it…"

At that point, the solemn lad's face started to flush. At the same time, Claire appeared somewhat uneasy.

"It's not a problem! No problem at all, no siree!" Claire rambled in a shaky voice. "Mary and I just happen to get along really easy like that! We're like two peas in a pod, because she's just so great!"

"I can tell. She says great things about you... she even compliments the things I don't quite get about you." Gray noted.

"That's really nice. I just… I just can't believe that someone like her… could be left alone…so easily...like that." Claire replied in a gradually serious tone.

Suddenly, Claire brought a hand close to her chest and reluctantly averted her eyes. Gray instinctively sensed something unnerving in the air, but seemingly disregarded it for the moment.

"Hey, I'm glad you don't have any past issues to work out and all, but I know that won't keep any incoming crap from giving you troubles. If that ends up happening, you can know that I've got your back, even though I still think you're a little crazy. Mary, too. And just maybe the Doctor since you hang out with him so much, but I wouldn't know personally. Honestly, I don't see any reason for us to outright hate you. At least you're not my Grandpa." Gray assured her.

Claire looked up with a warm smile and softer eyes.

"Thanks for that… and for trying to be all cool and skeptical all the time. At least I know you're trying to keep me out of trouble."

"Right…" Gray sighed.

"Well, I think maybe I should head down to Mary's right now and continue bringing her loneliness to an all-time low." Claire replied, with her natural cheer returning.

"You go do that." Gray encouraged.

"Later, Claire."

"Bye Gray."

The happy blonde immediately exited the room at due speed, leaving a curious Gray to ponder by himself.

"Figures. That girl's still hiding something…" he muttered to himself.

Moments later, the cheerful farmer arrived right at the front door of the library.

"Hey, Mary!"

"Good Morning, Claire."

The uncanny duo exchanged sunny smiles before going about their daily routine.

"Say, I had a really interesting talk with Gray earlier!" shared the outspoken blonde.

"Oh, really? What did he say?" asked Mary.

"It was really weird, yet sort of neat. The guy went all "Good Cop, Bad Cop" and "20 Questions" on me. I know the guy said he really wanted to be a blacksmith, but I think he'd make a much better detective after the thorough interrogation he performed on me!" Claire explained.

"True. Maybe he's finally learning from all those detective novels he's been reading!" Mary replied with a giggle.

"Wow, I never thought of that!" exclaimed Claire, "By the way. It seems like the guy has a really weird mayonnaise fetish!"

"Mayonnaise?" Mary repeated in confusion, "That sounds… rather out-of-character of him."

"Yeah, no kidding! Actually, when I was talking about it, he--"

Claire froze mid-sentence as her mind remembered a certain image of Gray during their earlier conversation. It was of the expression he had on his face when he spoke to her about Mary.

Outside, a single tear ran down her cheek.

"You see… he was… he was really--"

The stagnated farmer struggled to get out the rest of her sentence.

"Claire?" Mary asked in concern.

Claire suddenly let out a small chuckle in response.

"It was actually really funny, you see! He was…. He was…"

But she could never finish her sentence.

Instead, her tears burst out as she was inflicted with a sudden, intense chest pain. Mary could only stare back helplessly, with no clue how to assist her friend.

"Claire! Is something wrong?!" Mary asked desperately.

The troubled farmer could only let out a whimper in her current state.

"Claire!" Mary shouted again.

This time, Claire's body gradually lost its balanced, and started to fall forward. In an act of desperation, Mary got out of her desk, and caught the girl in a secure embrace.

"What's wrong?" the librarian asked in a softer tone.

"I don't know…" Claire replied, still trying to suppress her conflicted sorrow.

Mary attempted to look deep into her friend's eyes to discern a hint of her friend's issue, but could only see more confusion. But in the back of her mind, a mere hunch troubled her greatly.

"I DON'T KNOW!" Claire cried.

The raven-haired librarian then stroke her head gently while looking at her with saddened eyes of her own. There was little doubt in her mind at that point, yet she couldn't bring herself to act on her conclusion.

"Claire…" she whispered to her ever so softly, almost in an apologetic tone.

--

The following morning, the blonde farmer arrived at the clinic. She appeared rather haggard and devoid of sleepless. Both the doctor and nurse took quick notice of this.

"Claire?" both cried out in unison.

"Doctor, Elli… I think… I might be ill."

* * *

**_Wutwut?! What's going on now? Uh-oh... Claire not feeling well, that might mean a few things. Coming up, Gray and Mary want to check in, but Doctor Trent keeps them out for some reason. The final few chapters are coming up, so make sure to come back next Chapter! _**


	12. Get Well Soon

Chapter 12: Get Well Soon

_And yet another big round of thanks to __**supernae**__! Seriously, where did everybody else go? Oh well. With only four or so more chapters under way, let's move on!_

**Chapter 12: Get Well Soon**

A few days passed since Claire first checked into the clinic. Both Gray and Mary, the jovial farmer's usual friends, haven't heard a word from her since. Soon, word got out that she has been diagnosed for a severe terminal disease, a problem all too familiar to the town thanks to the presence of the resident Chicken Farm proprietor. Doctor Trent eventually came out to refute the rumor, claiming that it's nothing more then a short-term illness that will subside with proper treatment and a few day's rest. However, the populace remained largely skeptical due to the girl's lack of physical presence…

One decisive day, the bearer of the UMA hat decided to pay a visit the Clinic with a few qualms concerning the news.

"Doctor!" Gray cried while hammering the door with a fist. "Doctor, let me see her!"

In the midst of his knocking, the door slowly creaked open, with the good doctor himself intercepting Gray's next few fists with an open palm.

"Good Morning, Gray." Doctor Trent greeted calmly.

"Is Claire still in there? Please let me see her!" Gray requested.

"Yes, she is. Unfortunately, she still isn't ready to be seen." answered Doctor Trent with a hint of regret.

"What?! Come on! Aren't the people closest to her supposed to be able to see her at will?"

"True… that is normally the case for Mineral Town regulations; however, she herself has insisted that she remain in isolation for the time being."

Gray started clenching his hands in frustration.

"What is it? Is it that bad? Is it contagious? If this is true, why can't she let anyone else near her? If she did something stupid to catch it… I swear she'll be hearing from me soon!" he yelled.

"Please…don't. The situation's enough of a concern as it as. We can't have you frightening her." Doctor Trent suggested.

Gray then loosened his hands and lowered his head shamefully.

"I'm sorry…" he uttered.

"Just please don't get riled up again. In all honesty, it's not as bad as the news that has spread, however, she really needs to be tended to in peace for now. I'm sorry… that's all I can saw for now." Doctor Trent explained.

"You better be telling the truth, Doctor. I don't want to have some serious news sprung up on me the following day." Gray stressed.

"I promise, it's nothing of that sort. As I've said, what she needs right now is some peace and rest. We're doing what we can for the most part, but this is something she can recover from on her own."

"Then she better be fine… soon," Gray growled. "I am seriously going to let her have it if she keeps this going for too long."

"I'm certain she'll be up and about in due time…" Doctor Trent promised.

Suddenly, the librarian with glasses rushed to Gray's side in grave concern.

"Doctor! Please! Will Claire be alright?" she asked between her breaths.

"Mary!" Doctor uttered in a heightened state of awareness. "Yes, she will. Please bear with me, though. As I've just finished explaining to your friend Gray, her affliction isn't as serious as the rumors around town have stated. However, she is currently in a state that requires momentary isolation. Please be patient; you should be able to see her soon enough."

"Thank you…" Mary answered softly.

"Hey, Mary. You were the last person to see Claire before she checked in, right? " Gray suddenly asked.

The bookish lady slowly turned her head to the aspiring blacksmith and gave a nod.

"Just maybe… do you think you might have seen any sign of her recent illness when you met her?"

Mary immediately recalled Claire's mysterious breakdown during their discussion of Gray. Part of her was compelled to give him that possible hint, but in the end, she withheld from now.

"I'm sorry… there was nothing. She was perfectly fine." Mary lied regretfully.

"I see... thank you, though."

"Sure..."

Mary then turned her head towards the Clinic entrance, trying to spy behind the Doctor.

_"Claire… I'm not sure if I did the right thing just now, but… it made me anxious. I feel like Gray has a right to know, but then I feel like it would be tarnishing your privacy, somehow. Is that you want? To keep it a secret? Would you rather tell Gray yourself? I don't mind at all what it is you could be keeping from us. Especially if it's…THAT… if it's about Gray, I won't hate you. I'll never hate you for it… they're feelings. They just awaken on a whim, and you can't be completely blamed for it." _

"I guess we better go, then." Gray sighed. "Mary, I don't think Claire will like it if we just stand out here wasting our time. If I finally understand her logic well enough, she'd likely want us to enjoy ourselves for now. Of course, I don't think we have to take it as far she'd want us to."

Mary looked up with an understanding smile. "That certainly sounds like her alright."

Afterwards, she faced Doctor Trent with a motherly concern. "Please continue to look out for her, Doctor."

"I shall. And thank you for your support." Doctor Trent replied.

All three people nodded to each other a respectful farewell before going about their daily business. After Doctor Trent closed the door, he calmly headed towards the upstairs to meet with his patient.

"I believe the message from your friends are quite clear, Claire. Please, get well soon." He said aloud.

_**Coming up next, Claire gets up refreshed and vitalized, ready to face a whole new world! And boy is it new! But while Claire is supposed to be the main character of the story, the spotlight is all on the Doc this time! Something's amiss. Has Gray fallen to the dark side to ensure Claire's safety? Does Mary have an awesome secret identity? And is there any reason at all it took this long for the author to introduce characters other than the focal ones by finally writing in Rick and Karen cameos? What does this mean for our debonair Doctor?! Find out next chapter! And make sure to rest and relax!**_


	13. The Fighting Dreamers

_A big round of thanks to __**Jean Cooper **__and again __**supernae**__ for a good round of reviews! Please keep it up! _

_So now, here's yet another one of my all-time favorite chapters to write in this story. Enjoy, guys! :_

* * *

**Chapter 13: The Fighting Dreamers**

"Ah, good. You're finally awake."

After a few days of healing, the rested blonde farmer awoken to the sight of Doctor Trent's watchful eye.

"So… how do you feel today?" he asked.

"I feel just fine… finally." Claire replied with a warm smile, "Thanks, Doctor."

"Fantastic!" Doctor Trent cried. "We were worried for a bit that you weren't going to pull through at the last minute, but it looked like we made it just in time."

Claire's smile soon appeared even bright then before.

"I'm very grateful!" she cheered.

"I'm just as pleased to see the results myself. However, we still have to do one more last-minute procedure before we can let you go. There might be a few more symptoms that must be remedied before we can declare a full recovery, and--"

The Doctor's speech was interrupted by the sound of a loud engine.

"I'm sorry, I'll have to come back to you on that later. Please don't overexert yourself." He added.

"Don't worry, I won't."

In due speed, the curious Doctor made it to the entrance to meet with his new arrival.

Right outside the door was a conspicuous figure mounted on a motorcycle, with a gentle-looking woman on the passenger seat, and a good number of the Mineral Town ladies trailing behind him.

The mounted figure had smooth, slicked-back strawberry blonde hair and a few freckles spread about his face. He happened to be wearing a pair of dark shades, a jet black headband, a black leather jacket with matching boots, a pair of black jeans, and a yellow t-shirt with the inscription "chick magnet" in bold.

"Good Morning, Doc! I just decided to come by and deliver my Mom for her routine check up, as usual." He greeted.

"Intriguing entrance you made." Doctor Trent remarked.

"It's what I do best." The stranger smirked.

The excited ladies vying to catch the conspicuous character quickly made it to their destination, only to fawn over him incessantly.

"Oh my Goddess, it's Rick!"

"Rick!"

"It's Rick! I'm actually standing by Rick!"

"AAAH!! RICK!!"

One of the more composed women casually strode over to the leather-clad biker. She had long, brunette hair with a pair of nicely-bleached bangs, as well as eyes that shone like brilliant emeralds, and a soft, pleasing smile. She wore a flowing white cocktail dress, and golden sandals that sparkled in the sunlight. The young woman gave off the presence of an ideal angel.

"Please don't be too reckless on that motorbike of yours, Mr. Rick. The drift alone treats your perfect hair so poorly." She warned in a gentle voice as she combed the young man's mane ever so meticulously.

"Thanks for the warning, Karen baby, but I happen to think the untamed road makes me look a thousand times as sexy." Rick bragged.

"Ah, Karen! No Fair!!" Claire whined at the Doctor's side.

"No Fair, Karen!" the other women complained.

The gleeful Karen replied with a playful giggle.

"Ladies, ladies. Please! There's enough of me to go around." The charismatic Rick grinned in cocky pleasure.

The other ladies could not help but swoon at his haughty display.

All of a sudden, Doctor Trent heard an explosion from behind. Everyone else was far too caught up in Rick's presence to notice, so he ended up investigating the matter by himself. As he went deeper in the clinic, he noticed is personal office covered in dense fog.

"What the heck? What is going on here?" he cried.

Eventually, the smoke cleared to reveal the face of a young woman with braided red hair and big azure eyes… with her body covered entirely in equally azure robotic armor.

"Hand over the jewel of truth you possess, robo!" the stylized girl demanded.

The puzzled Doctor raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"Wh-what did you just call me?"

"Enough stalling, robo! Us members of Team Robot have come to raid this town of its mystical jewels of truth, so that we may finally fulfill our wish of ruling this world with an bluish iron fist, robo!" The girl proclaimed.

"Alright, first of all, the mystical jewels of truth are only a myth! I'm not even sure they exist, and if they do, I doubt I'd have something in possession that I don't know about! And second of all, do you have some sort of strange speech impediment Miss?" Doctor Trent explained.

"DO NOT INSULT A SUPREME OFFICER OF TEAM ROBOT!" shouted the rather impatient girl.

She then raised her right arm, which reconfigured itself to reveal a mini-missile launcher.

"Oh, crap…" Doctor Trent muttered to himself.

"Now, tell me where you're keeping that precious jewel of truth of yours, robo!" the girl repeated.

"I'm afraid you're too late, Raggedy Ann…" a sinister voice taunted.

"Oh, great. What is it this time?" Doctor Trent sighed.

Both the perplexed doctor and the armored enforcer looked off to the side to reveal a roguish figure wearing a top hat and full black tuxedo suit. But most conspicuous of all was the beady-eyed smiley mask and the raven-haired braid that slung off to the side. The mysterious character simply gave a maniacal laugh as it was spotted.

"Curses! It's the Phantom Renegade, robo!" the red-head snarled.

"Indeed I am. And… what's this? Look what I just got my hands on!" Phantom Renegade teased.

The dashing rogue then revealed a big, shiny pearl in her grasp.

"A JEWEL OF TRUTH, ROBO!" The robotic enforcer cried.

Phantom Renegade let out yet another sinister laugh.

"Yes, one of the several jewels of truth are finally in possession! You snooze, you lose, pal!" Phantom Renegade mocked.

"Not when I'm done with you, robo!" the robotic enforcer shouted.

She then switched targeting from the helpless doctor to the cunning thief.

"Give it up! You can't win, robo!"

"Oh, really?!"

Phantom Renegade then rolled off to the side to grab a stack of papers, which she then threw into the air spontaneously.

"GO, ONE THOUSAND CRANES!!"

In an instant, the airborne paper folded themselves into sharp paper cranes, which flew straight at the armored red-head, which temporarily threw off her aim and concentration. After the paper cranes flew past, the robotic enforcer remained erect and unscathed.

"Ha! Not even a scratch! I guess all that talk about the Phantom Renegade's abilities as a Paper Master is just a bunch of crock, robo!" the robotic enforcer taunted.

"Oh, that wasn't my actual objective…" Phantom Renegade chuckled.

"Then what--"

The devious rogue took out a remote controlled button from a pants pocket and waved it playfully in plain sight.

"Wh-what's that, robo?!"

"Say goodbye, dear!"

Upon pressing the button, the robotic enforcer realized that she was being propelled upward by a jetpack just recently strapped to her back. Eventually, it propelled her full force straight into the atmosphere.

"LOOKS LIKE TEAM ROBOT'S BLASTING OF AGAIN, ROBOOOOOOOOO!!"

Her last cry could be heard echoing throughout the sky.

Back on the ground, Doctor Trent was still caught by surprise from the recent turn of events.

"But, but how? The sacred jewels of truth are only a myth!" he cried.

"Doctor, Doctor, doctor…" Phantom Renegade uttered with a clicking tongue, "You should really have more faith in Mineral Town legends."

"But… if that's true, where did you find that jewel?" Doctor Trent demanded to know.

Once again, Phantom Renegade released a trademark laugh.

"It was stored in a desk where Elli keeps her chocolates. I assume she simply didn't recognize this rare gem." Phantom Renegade explained. "In any case, I must off. Tata for now!"

The stylish phantom then attempted a daring escape, but not before taking a clumsy spill to the ground.

"Um…er… are you okay, Phantom?" Doctor Trent asked.

"Ow… I think I might have scraped my knees." the felled thief said aloud in a gentle, sheepish voice.

"Um, I mean… I'm fine! Just fine!" the thief resumed in the usually defiant tone. "Phantom Renegade, Away!"

"Wait, hold on just a--minute…"

With a moment's hesitation, the mysterious thief fled the scene without a trace.

"Hm…intriguing." Doctor Trent said to himself.

After all of the confusion that took place, the doctor decided to ponder the situation upstairs, where he can finally get some peace and quiet. However, all was not yet finished.

"I'M IN DESPAIR!!"

Doctor Trent turned to his side to notice a thoroughly freaked-out Claire who appeared to be on the verge as what could only be described as a "breakdown/epiphany"

"Um, Claire? Is something the matter? And how did you appear right beside me instantaneously like that?" he asked.

"I'M IN DESPAIR!!", Claire repeated, "ALL THIS CHAOS AND CONFUSION RIGHT NOW HAS LED ME TO DESPAIR!!"

"Now Claire, just please calm down. You were fine just a moment ago, very ecstatic to meet Rick. You don't have to let this madness get to you again." Doctor Trent tried to explain in a very composed tone.

"LOOK! THAT MAN! HE'S CAUSING THAT INNOCENT GIRL TO BECOME DEPRESSED!" Karen's angelic voice announced from outside the clinic.

"Hey, I know that man! He's Doctor Death!" a man with a brown ponytail proclaimed.

"Doctor Death!? That jerkwad's responsible for making Mary disappear, who I haven't seen since the Phantom Renegade started showing her masked face around here!" A familiar grumpy voice cried.

"GET HIM!!"

Without much time to think, Doctor Trent fled to the second story and locked himself in his personal room.

"Darn it! The entire town has gone mad, and it's somehow that Phantom Renegade's fault!" Doctor Trent growled, "but what's causing all of this?"

From downstairs, the crowd began chanting louder and louder, until it was audibly clear to the confined man.

"DESTORY DOCTOR DEATH! DESTROY DOCTOR DEATH!"

Frantically, Doctor Trent searched his desk until he arrived at a manila envelope with the words "TOP SECRET" stamped in red. He carefully opened up the envelope, revealing the contents to be extensive data on a deadly parasite.

"That's it! The citizenry of this town… they've already been infected! They've become Los Ganados!" Doctor Trent deduced. "Curses!"

Before he could say any further, the door to his room was experiencing violent bangings. Doctor Trent felt that there was no way he could make it out peacefully, so he headed towards a glass display case with the words "Break Glass In Case of Emergency", and follow the instructions without any hesitation. He then reached for the object inside, which turned out to be a shotgun, and patiently awaited the mob.

"You'll get no sympathy from me…" Doctor Trent muttered coolly under his breath.

Finally, the door broke down, and the mob began flooding the room. Doctor Trent charged the assailants with shotgun in hand, ready to give them hell.

"THE FIGHT IS ON!!" he cried mightily.

--

Immediately, Karen sprang up in the middle of the night in a half daze. Instead of wearing the flowing white dress from her dream she was in a soft, lavender night gown.

"Now that was just weird…" she grumbled to herself. "Did I drink myself into another crazy dream?"

She then began to recall the rather peculiar events that took place within the realm of sleep.

"It was cool and all that Rick looked badass… and Doctor acted badass, but what was up with me being all shiny and prissy?" she muttered.

Without giving much time to further think on it, the weary Karen collapsed right back into unconsciousness to resume her dreaming.

* * *

_**Yup, it was all Karen's dream. Didn't make it any less fun for me to write, though. Too many wacky references to catch, but just clarify one thing, Ann is supposed to be dressed up like Robocop without the helmet. Weird, huh?**_

_**Coming up next, Claire wakes up. For real this time. And the drama's really reaching a boiling point. A possibly unexpected surprise comes to light for one of the Mineral Town Citizens as a confession is made. And it's not just A confession…. But THE confession? Who is Claire Kafka falling for? Why didn't she feel so well to begin with? And being the blonde farmer's best girlfriend, will Mary still have reason enough to be trustworthy after the truth finally comes out? Find out next time! The Climax is just about to begin!! **_

_**sings the Medabots Theme song**_

_**MEDABOTTTTTT--S--S--S--S--S--S--S--S--S--S--S!!**_


	14. You Can't Handle the Truth!

_A big thank you to **supernae, Jean Cooper, **__and now __**youroctober**__! Wow! Three reviews for one chapter! Haven't seen that in forever! And thanks for the comments! Now for some interesting news: Before I announced the remaining chapters, I decided to combine two previously written chapters into one because I felt they were too short by themselves. But I changed my mind. Three more chapters after this!! Yay!_

_Now, for the big reveal. Those of you who've been reading this for awhile probably saw her decision coming from a mile away at this point… or did you? Now I'm making you paranoid. Read away:_

* * *

**Chapter 14: You Can't Handle The Truth!**

One cloudy morning later, Claire sat upright on her bed, while Doctor Trent sat patiently right by her. The formerly bed-ridden farmer appeared quite well, now; however, an air of weariness still hung about her.

"Hey, Doctor." Claire uttered with a weak smile, "I think… today's the day I can finally leave."

The good doctor looked on in astonishment.

"Really? Does that mean--"

"Yeah. I'm ready to fess up. You were right all along… all of this panic really hasn't been doing me any good. And… thanks for all your help." Claire replied.

"Good for you!" Doctor Trent nodded, "I knew you were so shaken up, and it made you hesitant, but I'm glad you finally found your ground."

"I just didn't want to worry them anymore. And you were right: it wouldn't do me any good to keep it from them the whole time. They have a right to know… but I'm still afraid why might happen. I still feel like I might be betraying Mary's friendship, and Gray… well, knowing him, he just might lose it."

"But now for sure you're willing to put your trust in them?" Doctor Trent asked.

Claire nodded.

"They're my friends, Doc. I don't really think I have much of a choice here."

"I see. In any case, I'm glad you've renewed your faith in your friends."

The anxious blonde put a hand up to her heart, and stared thoughtfully in the air.

"They're the nicest people I know… and I 'm really hoping that stays true after I come out with it. No, I have to be sure that it stays true…" she said aloud.

" "Gotta be taller than your troubles", right?" Doctor Trent reminded her with a wink.

"Yep, like what Dad always told me. Though I really wish I had some big stilts about now." Claire replied with a weak laugh.

Slowly, the outgoing patient got out of bed, then reached for the door.

"I don't think you'll have much to worry about between the two of them. They genuinely seem as nice as you make them out to be, and they tend to be rather honest about, to." Doctor Trent assured her.

"I'm still a little nervous about Gray's reaction, though. I'm a little worried that it might have him running for the hills." Claire confessed.

"Maybe not. From what I've seen of him, he just might surprise you." Doctor Trent suggested coolly.

"I hope you're right." Claire replied softly.

For one brief moment, the doctor and patient exchanged serious looks. Doctor Trent then formed a confident smile and a single nod, while Claire returned the favor with a smile and nod of her own. She turned the knob slowly and surely, and opened it in the same manner.

"Good luck, Claire. And goodbye."

"Later, Doc."

And with that said, Claire finally closed the door behind her and headed off to face her moment of truth.

Back at the library, the lone librarian was mulling over the absence of her good friend.

"It's almost been an entire week, now. I know what Doctor said, but I'm starting to get really worried now. I'm not even sure if a cold, or even a case of excess fatigue should take this long to heal on its own. Oh Claire, I don't know what's wrong with you, but I really hope to see you well soon. Gray's been starting to throw a fit over it as well."

The eyes behind Mary's usual frames started to tear up. She then lowered her head with another agonizing thought in mind.

"If it isn't illness, is it my fault? I know Gray and I have known each other longer, but… it's still not fair. Maybe I should've told him about my suspicions and have the matter resolved between the two of you, or perhaps I should've been upfront with her immediately. But, you also seemed to be getting along so well with the doctor. Am I being selfish? Do I even know fur sure what I'm thinking? Ugh… no, that's it. She deserves to know. We've been friends for so long, and yet all this time I've been too nervous to say anything about loving Gray and make her worried that I might try to exclude her. I just have to assure her, because she's my best friend, and nothing will change that…"

In a sudden burst of drama, the library door swung open in a very familiar fashion.

"Claire! You're okay!" Mary cried with relief.

The librarian's eyes continued to tear up, but her face lit up with her friend's health restored. However, Claire appeared far more solemn.

"Mary…" Claire began, "I'm really sorry I've worried you this whole time, especially when it was all because I worried myself into being sick."

"It's… it's okay! You're fine, and it's all that matters." Mary replied with a meek smile.

"Thanks for being so glad for me, but I think there's something I have to tell you." Claire continued, "All this time, I don't think I've been fair to you. I mean, I just started realizing something important, and all I did was freak out and camped out in the hospital because of it. I think I just betrayed all the kindness you've given me as my most awesome best friend, but I really, really don't want you to hate me for it…."

"Claire…" Mary uttered. "N-no, I won't hate you. I never will. To be honest, I don't think I've been all that fair to you, either."

"Don't be silly, you've been very fair to me. Maybe even more fair to me than you think," Claire smiled. "I'm still so afraid right now, but I just know you had to be the one to know this first… because I really, really trust you…"

_"She must know that I love Gray…"_ Mary thought to herself.

Claire took a great deep breath, as Mary watched on in anticipation.

"Claire, thank you…" replied Mary with a warm, soft smile, "You don't have to worry. I promise you we'll be friends no matter what it is you have to get off your chest."

The anxious blonde farmer clutched her heart in agony, and then lowered her head, unable to look in her best friend's eyes. She took one huge, deep breath, and finally calmed her nervous.

"This whole time, I've felt really glad to hang out with you and Gray. The two of you have been my best buddies. But lately, whenever it is I start to think of the two of you, my heart starts to ache. It was weird… really, really weird, because I've never really felt this way before. And then whenever we start talking about Gray together, it starts making feel all scared and anxious. The talks with each other just started getting more and more awkward between the two of us because of it! I really wanted it to stop, but my heart would start pounding like crazy and it would never stop!"

"Claire, that feeling…" Mary started.

"No, I found out what it is, now." Claire answered, "I just wish it wasn't true…and I was really hoping it wouldn't split us up because of it. I didn't want you to see as an awful person because of these feelings, Mary. I didn't want our friendship to end…"

Mary could see the fear and suffering swelling up in the panicked farmer's heart, and immediately embraced her to comfort to her.

"I…I don't want it end, either…" Mary assured her sympathetically.

"You mean too much too me, Mary! But I couldn't help it! I… I'm in love with you!"

"It'll be okay. I'm fine that you're in love with her, and I'm sure--"

Upon realization of what she just said, Mary froze in place as Claire decided to back up. The two of them looked at each other in uncertainty.

"C-Claire… d-did you just say--?"

Mary then slowly raised a finger, and pointed to herself, and Claire nodded in reluctant confirmation.

* * *

_**Um…**_

_**-flees-**_

_**Sorry! Really! I know what the summary said, but I really wanted to go for something out of the blue! If you read a review from StarrNight earlier, that MIGHT have leaked some unintentional spoilers, even if it was a joke. Of course I had to cover it up! But I wasn't lying, either! Claire wasn't SUPPOSED to seem conspicuously bi throughout most of the story up to this point!**_

_**I guess that means if any of you feel uncomfortable at this point, go ahead and leave the story. I won't stop you. But if the category of this story offers you any hint, and by that I mean the lack of "Romance" label, there WON'T be any girl love makin' in this story. It's mostly innocent stuff, and lemons and limes make me gag. If you're still ready to finish up this story, then enjoy. : )**_

_**Next up, we take a journey to the past as Claire has a flashback about a talk with Doctor Trent. It's probably the most bizarre talk about the birds and the bees ever, but if you love these two talking together too much, it won't bother you at all. It's touching and sweet, and if you didn't figure out why Claire didn't feel well in this chapter, it should be made very clear the next. Until later… **_


	15. Confessions of a Farmer

_I'd like to thank **supernae**__, __**xFujimotox**__, __**XxXTwilight-SinXxX**__, and my first very mysterious __**Anonymous **__reviewer for sending in their word! Looks like I'm getting more reviews towards the end! But I'm not sure if this will keep up. . As serious as things should probably be getting, I end up working in some inexplicably funny moments in this chapter. Well, here goes the epic flashback:_

* * *

**Chapter 15: Confessions of a Farmer**

_"I don't understand at all. Every time I around her, I feel great and warm. I was sure it was just because she was my friend at first, but it got more confusing as I spent more time with her. I started feeling strange and flustered from this warmth, and my heart started pounding. And I was grateful for kindness, but it felt like I wanted something more than she could offer me. But we've been bonding all this time. I was sure it's just because she was such a great friend to me the whole time. And now it's really bad. I'm scared of her for something I don't understand, but I still want to have good times with her." Claire shared._

_"Then I assume you're afraid of the only reasonable conclusion that can be reached from these feelings." Dr. Trent replied._

_"But that can't be it, Doctor! It doesn't make sense! We're best friends! She's my best friend!"_

_"And that will only make it harder for you." Dr. Trent sighed._

_"Doctor, please just check what's wrong with me!" Claire demanded._

_"I already ran a thorough checkup, Miss Kafka. You have no virus or any other pressing illness in your system. The only thing affecting your health is your mood. Aside from that, you're perfectly fine." Dr. Trent explained._

_"Then why do I feel so strange around Mary? Why am I so scared and anxious? That just can't be! We're both--"_

_"Claire, you just might be in love with her." Dr. Trent stated abruptly. "Now, I can't say for sure if this is true. I don't have your feelings. But please tell me, if you were to just strip away your denial for one moment, does that statement feel like a lie to you?"_

_Claire remained silent. She only clutched her heart in reaction._

_"Do you really not know, or are you afraid to confirm an answer?" Doctor Trent asked gently._

_The anxious girl's eyes started tearing, then her face slowly turned a soft pink._

_"She's very special to me. That's all I can really say…" Claire uttered softly._

_"Good. At least you have someone that really means something to you in this valley." Doctor Trent told the farmer to console her._

_"Please, don't say that. You, Elli, and Gray mean a lot to me, too. You're all my friends, after all." Claire replied. "It's just… why do I have to feel so confused Mary? My best friend of everyone? I want to be able to trust her with everything. No secrets."_

_"You still can, you know. Nobody else can make that decision except you." Doctor Trent advised._

_The blonde farmer's teary eyes closed shut as she tried to think over her dilemma._

_"Say, Doctor… is it okay? For a girl to really like another girl? I'm not trying to say it's wrong or anything, it just sounds… weird to me. The thought of it… "feels" weird…" Claire asked._

_"It's perfectly fine, Claire. There may be others who have qualms about it, but most of it is a huge misunderstanding. Having feelings is never wrong as long as you hold compassion with good intentions." Doctor Trent answered._

_For a brief time, Claire started to giggle._

_"Do you realize you kinda sounded like a fortune cookie just now?" she blurted aloud._

_"I get that a lot. Actually, Elli once suggested I should take a few small strips of paper on my days off at the lake and write down anything I can think of. I seem to do my best thinking there."_

_"I can tell. I was with you last week, and you sounded like a regular sage." Claire replied with a weak smile. "Still, with what you just said. I really want to believe it."_

_"Then go ahead and do so." Doctor Trent encouraged. "And you just might be relieved to tell Mary should you come to that conclusion about your feelings. I haven't talked to her much, but I can tell she's the most understanding young woman in the village. And you said so yourself, she's really kind. That's what you like about her, right?"_

_"Just to be clear: it's not like I've been having these weirdo feelings around other girls this whole time in secret. It was just Mary. It started with Mary. I remembered having a few awkward crushes on guys in the past. This time just happens to be different. Really strong and different." Claire shared._

_"True love's supposed to be a very unique and special thing, Claire." Doctor Trent shared. "It's much more than going crazy because you think someone looks good or because your hormones are reacting to someone. You feel a strong, genuine compassion for that special someone. You'll want to understand them and take care of them."_

_The blonde farmer winced a little, then leaned back in bed to take a deep breath._

_"You're starting to sound like Dad again…" Claire said uttered._

_"Really?"_

_"I think he might have been my first crush…" she confessed._

_"And how does this relate back to me, exactly?" Doctor Trent asked._

_"I think… it would've been neat if I fell for you instead."_

_This sudden statement grabbed the curious Doctor's attention._

_"Really. Everything would be much simpler if that happened instead. I'd feel a-okay if Mary and Gray finally hooked up in front me, and it would make Elli's job of trying to hook us up that much easier. Everyone would be happy then. No problem." Claire explained._

_"You can't necessarily control who you fall in love, though. Especially for convenience's sake. I'm sure this experience is showing you that." Doctor Trent responded._

_Claire clutched her chest once again and groaned._

_"I really wish this was one of times I could." She said regretfully._

_"Still, it wouldn't hurt to tell Mary. Like you said, it was her kindness that you really liked about her. And, I may not know her all that well, but I can tell that she's a very understanding young lady, maybe even the most understanding one of this whole town." Doctor Trent encouraged her._

_"I don't know… besides, she loves Gray." Claire lamented._

_"So then, are you afraid to say anything in fear of outright rejection?"_

_"No. They're my best friends. Both of them… I just really don't want to weird them out with my feelings right now. I'm not sure with Mary, but with Gray, he might see me as some crazy freak and keep me away with his over- protectiveness." Claire gulped. _

_"I wouldn't be too sure about that second part. Gray's been watching out for you, too. Who do you think brought you in here from your mining adventure the other day?"_

_"That was him?" Claire asked in surprise._

_"Other than Saibara, he was the only one who knew about it at that time, and I don't know if the old blacksmith would be up to it." said Doctor Trent._

_"Even if he's some crazy kung fu master?"_

_"Even wisdom isn't enough to compensate for a lack of vitality sometimes, but yes. Rest assured it was your friend Gray. Elli and I saw him carry you in his arms." Doctor Trent stated._

_"Wow. That's pretty sweet of a guy who's in love with someone else… or is it mayonnaise?" Claire muttered to herself._

_"Whatever the case may be, I can only make assumptions of your friends. Only you alone can determine how they'll react, as you are the one who shares those bonds." Doctor Trent advised._

_"I really can't say for sure, Doctor. It's only been about a season, now. I didn't think anything like this would hit me so soon in my farming career in Mineral Town. I haven't even attended a festival yet with anybody. Did I really spend enough time with them to know them for sure?" Claire asked._

_"Did you?" Doctor Trent repeated with a shrug._

_Claire sighed and stared up at the ceiling._

_"I know Gray's a stubborn guy who can't stand my weirdness half the time, but he's a pretty cool and smart blacksmith guy who cares a lot when he wants to. And Mary's a sweet, smart, and…beautiful… librarian friend who's great at listening to me and has a lot of interesting things to say. Yeah, they're really neat friends, for sure, but I don't want to lose them. I don't want to find out my friendship with them was a lie because of one creepy quirk with me." Claire lamented._

_"Then maybe try having faith in them. I'm not urging you to face them immediately, go ahead and take your time. Find every little reason you can think of that they will still accept you. Gather your courage and energy. It might be best if you feel as close to 100 as possible when you decide to do it. In the mean time, Elli and I will be doing our best to care for you, so don't sweat it." Doctor Trent assured her._

_"Hey, what about the bit where you mention the consolation friends? Normally, the consoler would say that she'd still have him, right?" Claire asked suddenly._

_Doctor Trent shook his head._

_"For now, I've decided to put my faith in your friends, just as they've put their faith in me to take care of you." He simply replied._

_Suddenly, the worn and weakened farmer's eyes started blinking, but gradually, the eyes remained closer for longer periods of time until they stayed shut._

_"I really hope they really care for me like you say…" Claire managed to say before she slipped into a deep sleep._

_"And I really hope you don't let this whole thing get to you…" Doctor Trent said in turn._

_After that, he placed the back of his head upon her forehead to check for any stray fever that may have hit her. Luckily for her, her temperature remained fairly normal. He then placed a stethoscope by his patient's heart. In her current state, it was beating a little fast out of stress, but it showed nothing life threatening. Once again, the doctor concluded that Claire was still in decent shape._

_"Sleep tight, Claire." _

* * *

_**Coming up next, we return to the present. So… just how will Mary cope with this? Will Claire and Mary retain their friendship? How will Mary's feelings for Gray affect this relationship? And speaking of Gray, how is HE going to take it when he finds out the new female farmer has feelings for Mary? Perhaps there's more to this "mayonnaise fetish" than Gray let on. Be sure to check out the upcoming concluding chapters! And don't forget to rest & relax! **_


	16. I Love You

_Thanks to **BeautifulAuthor**__, __**supernae**__, and __**harvestmoonrox**__ for your reviews! This story's been going on for a little over two months now, but now it's coming to an end! Thanks to everyone who's seen this, favorited it, and reviewed it up to this point! This is the final chapter before the conclusion, so please enjoy!_

* * *

**Chapter 16: I Love You**

"Mary?"

The raven-haired librarian continued to look back in total confusion.

"Claire… I…"

"I know it's really strange. I don't really get it myself, but these how my feelings turned out…" Claire tried to explain.

"But… why?"

"I guess, because you've always been so kind. I know you're not always the most talkative person, but you're very kind and adorable and you like listening. I assumed I was just admiring what I liked about you as a friend but then something in me started to click. You're a really sweet person and…. Actually beautiful, too. I was a little jealous being a kiddy-like and everything at first…" she admitted.

"B-beautiful?!" Mary cried. "N-no way…. I'm not… I'm not so beautiful as to deeply attract anybody… not even enough to--"

"Calm down, I didn't say I was going hormone crazy about you!" Claire interrupted with a weak laugh. "But trust me, you are. You're beautiful and you carry it in a really grown-up way. If there weren't any feelings involved, then it'd be all the more envy and admiration from silly old me."

"Do you really think so?" Mary asked meaningfully.

"Yes, I do. With or without my feelings, my opinion on that wouldn't be any different. I'm sure Gray thinks so, too." Claire assured her.

"Gray…" Mary repeated softly.

The humbled librarian bowed her head, and tears came out why she laughed very uncomfortably.

"Th-thank you, Claire. I didn't know anyone really thought that way about me… friend or otherwise… but I'm really flattered. I… I'm glad you could finally tell me truth, but… I'm in love with Gray." Mary finally confessed. "I really wanted to tell you, but… I was afraid that you might like him too and it would put the two of us in a very awkward position. I wasn't expecting to be turning down my best girl friend instead…" confessed Mary.

"I wouldn't worry. I'm pretty sure he loves you, too." Claire smiled.

A gasp escaped the curious librarian's mouth.

"And I really didn't mind that much if you were going to return my feelings. I was just… I was really afraid you'd hate me and think I was some freak for having feelings for you."

"Don't be silly! I'd never see you that way! Ever since you arrived at Mineral Town, you were always a good friend to me! I'd never want to push you away over something like that!" Mary cried. "I've heard about situations like that before. I admit, I thought it was a little unusual, but then I've heard about how cruelly they'd be treated because of it, and I feel sorry for those people. So I can understand that you're really afraid… and I'm so sorry that I couldn't let you feel more comfortable about it sooner."

"No, I should feel sorry for not trusting you sooner. But… now I know for sure that you really are the kind and understanding person I thought you were." Claire replied in relief.

The two held each other in a tight hug with tears streaming in their eyes. Throughout so much doubt and confusion, the two best friends were finally letting out their joys and sorrows together.

"Claire!" a husky voice suddenly cried as the door burst open.

The girls immediately separated to face the panicked blacksmith at the front door.

"Gray?!" both girls cried.

"Oh, good… so you have gotten better. What a relief." Gray sighed.

"Yeah, I'm better now, and thanks for worrying about me the whole time. But I think I should tell you--"

"YOU'RE DAMN RIGHT I WAS WORRIED ABOUT YOU!" he interrupted. "Goddess, you made poor Mary worried sick when you got all sick for real and bedridden at the doctors! I don't understand why the doctor couldn't allow his patient's two best friends to be there for her, but I swear, if that happens again I'll--"

"Please don't blame him! It was my fault! I couldn't see you guys back then because I didn't want to see you two! I was afraid the both of you would just make it worse!" Claire pleaded.

The stunned blacksmith apprentice froze.

"Hold on, what? Where you really in that bad a condition? Where you contagious? Because the doctor--"

"I wasn't contagious, stupid! I was afraid and depressed!" Claire shouted.

Both Mary and Gray were completely stupefied at that moment. It was the first time either of them had heard her outright insulted someone.

"Stupid…?" Gray repeated. "Okay, okay. I'm sorry. Just please… what were you so scared about that it would make you ill?"

The gentle librarian held her friend closer and patted her head softly.

"See? You don't have to be afraid of him at all, too. He cares about you so much, I doubt he'll hate you for it, as well." Mary encouraged her.

Claire nodded back slowly, while Gray looked on in confusion.

"Umm… yeah, as strange as it is, I ended up doing some soul-searching stuff and found out along the way that I… was in love with Mary for awhile." Claire confessed.

The young blacksmith raised a single eyebrow and looked even more confused.

"Mary?" Gray repeated plainly. "Did I hear I right?"

Again, Claire nodded slowly with an anxious expression.

"Oh." Gray answered while retaining his plain tone. "I was pretty sure with all the time you spent with that doctor and laughing with him, you'd like him."

"Really?" Claire replied curiously.

"And there were a few odd instances that I felt you put me through everything you did because you may have… for some reason liked me, but I knew that something like that was pretty ridiculous." Gray stated with a confident.

"Yeah, no kidding." Claire agreed wholeheartedly with a lighthearted laugh.

At the same time, a particularly embarrassed librarian was laughing nervously to herself.

"_So this whole time, the both of them thought that Claire falling for him was one big joke… great…" _Mary thought to herself.

"But since I heard you right, does this mean what I think it means?" Gray asked.

Both girls stared blankly back in shock.

"Ah! N-no… I don't think… er, Mary was my first!" Claire babbled. "I wasn't crushing on other girls before I got to Mineral Town! It just sorta turned out this way! I mean, I could've sworn there was a time where I really did like guys! I don't get how my hormones work!"

"And I turned her town!" Mary joined in. "I-I mean, I'm not trying to push her away everything that happened! I don't want to be cruel! I… I just don't swing that way! N-not that I think there's anything wrong with her! Or me!"

"That's right! There's a very good reason she turned me down! Y-you see, there's this guy she actually likes and--"

The delirious duo continued stumbling over each other with nonsensical arguments about their obscure case, while Gray looked on in utter bewilderment.

"Okay, Okay! Stop!" Gray barked, effectively silencing the lovely ladies.

"Just, hear me out for a second! I care about you. The both of you. I've known Mary for a good chunk of my life, so I know she barely has a mean bone in her body. But even though I've only known Claire for nearly a season, I know can tell that everything you, you do so with the right intentions. So, even though there are times I just can't stand the blonde half the time, I don't think I could completely hate either of you. I only asked because I wanted to know. I'm not going to let some stupid prejudice over one's taste in genders get in the way of a meaningful friendship. Besides, if it actually turned out that both of you… felt that way about each other… I wouldn't mind so much. Heck, I'd actually support it… because there's no way I'd let some bigots hurt the two people I care about most." Gray ranted.

In lieu of her secret love's speech, poor Mary looked shaken, mortified, and feverish red. On the other hand, Claire looked simply amazed.

"G-Gray…" the blonde farmer uttered in a tender tone. "Does this mean…?"

The aforementioned man gave a single, confident man.

"…you're actually into THAT sort of thing?" Claire finished.

"…what?" Gray asked.

"You pervert!" Claire suddenly cried. "I'm touched you'd support an "unusual" relationship, but to think! Ogling us to fill your "needs"!"

"Huh?! W-w-w-wait a minute! I'm not like that! I'm not some stupid pervert! I'm just saying if you two decided to start a relationship, I'd stand by you! Simple as dad! Goddess, you think I'd try to use you to get into some crazy threesome?!" Gray shouted.

Just then, the accusing farmer stuck out her tongue and blinked with a silly expression.

"Just kidding…" Claire uttered quietly.

"H-HEY! DON'T MAKE LIGHT OF THE SITUATION! THIS IS SERIOUS!" Gray roared.

"S-sorry… I was just so relieved… and I couldn't resist." Claire cried.

"Excuse me, but as I was saying, I ended up turning her down, anyway." Mary reminded them. "But I'd still like to be friends with her."

"Oh, alright." Gray replied with a hint of relief.

"See? Isn't that alright? Now you can tell her about your feelings for her, too!" Claire exclaimed.

This time, it was Gray's turn to be shocked alongside Mary.

"What?! Where'd you come up with an idea like that?" Gray cried.

"Oh, come on! "Mayonnaise"? Did you really think I'd buy that?" said Claire.

"Yes…" Gray murmured awkwardly.

"Go ahead, show me proof of your mayonnaise fetish if you can." dared the amused blonde.

The provoked blacksmith clenched both his fists and clenched his teeth in mad frustration, but then his face became hotter and redder than any tempered metal in his workshop. The poor guy looked just about fizzled out. This animated scene caused Claire to giggle to herself as more tears poured from her eyes.

"I guess it can't be helped, can it?" the gentle librarian suddenly uttered. "Then, I suppose the decisive factor is all up to me…"

Both Claire and Gray turned to see the raven-haired girl with her grace and composure restored, along with a newly-gained confidence shining through. The blonde farmer looked on hopefully while the novice blacksmith stared back in total surprise. Mary then nodded back at the two of them reassuringly.

"Gray, I thank you for everything; for all the good times you've given me since the first time you stepped into the library; for listening to a silly bookworm who shackled herself here and thought she was alone, for looking out for me through thick and thin, and for accepting my new best friend and I for who we are. You've given me so much all this time, and if Claire was right about your feelings… and I really hope so… I couldn't be any happier, because you see Gray, the one I love is you."

Gray's jaw dropped completely as his mind tried to grasp what he was told, while Claire placed clenched hands by her chest. After a moment of hesitation, the rather surprised blacksmith turned toward his blonde friend once more.

"And you knew this?" he asked.

"She just told me, actually." Claire replied with a light laugh.

Gray then slowly turned his head towards Mary again, then lowered it humbly.

"No, Claire's not messing with you. I can't believe I slipped up so easily, but yes, I love you too." He told her with a chuckle. "I'm just so relieved you happened to feel the same way. I just wasn't sure. I mean, you're so smart and beautiful, I was sooner or later you'd be done with what little Mineral Town had to offer to you and you'd find new opportunities in the city. I always felt you were too good for me…"

"What?! Gray, there's no way… you were always very good to me, I don't know how I could ever leave you behind. And my friendship with Claire here only gives me another reason to stay. But honestly, do you truly see me that way? Beautiful… I mean, not too many people ever really notice me and--"

"DON'T YOU DARE SAY THAT!!" Gray and Claire shouted at the same time.

"I already told you what I think…" the blonde farmer reminded her.

"And I'm not just trying to flatter you. I mean it. I just told you I love you, didn't I? You have a lot going for you, and that means beauty, too. It's strange to me of all the things you would feel desperately lacking in, it's that. What do you think is the first thing that always pops into my mind whenever I see you?" Gray said.

"That… that I'm a good friend you could always count on?" Mary replied reluctantly.

Instantly, the shy librarian was met with a secure, yet soft hug.

"No. That you're easy on the eyes." He corrected.

Claire's heart pounded wildly as she saw her two best friends in a tender embrace. What emotions filled her were most strange, neither entirely happy and relieved nor sad and deprived However, she knew what was going on was quite possibly the happiest moment of her friends' lives, and she could take some satisfaction out of that.

Her role in this meeting was not yet done, however, as she felt a hand yank her arm towards them.

"Hey you…"

The anxious blonde suddenly realized she was pulled a mere few inches towards Gray's face.

"Don't you still think you gave up too easily? I told you I would've supported you if she accepted you." He told her.

Mary gasped and Claire gulped at this strange announcement.

"H-hey! There's no contest! She clearly cares about you the most and--"

"She still deeply cared about you, Claire. She cried over the thought of loosing you. Honestly, if you think somewhere deep inside, you think you could actually make her happier, I'd rather we settle this fairly." Gray insisted.

"Gray, no, I just-- come on, these feelings... they're very new to me. But clearly you and Mary have been feeling it behind each other's backs for like forever! And… at this rate, I'd just stumble through feelings I don't completely get. Really, do you want me to get in the middle of something set up so perfectly, that it would make two of my best buddies around, just to fall flat on my face? She turned me down, Gray, for good reason, and I can see that you're the one that could make her the happiest because you're more sure about yourself." Claire replied.

"Fine." Gray replied gruffly. "Then as a friend, I'd rather you actually learn from this then walk away from nothing. Looking back now, I think I made a lot of mistakes in the past. I assumed too much that made me hesitate, and I didn't assume she'd do same, so… as thanks for bringing Mary and I together, know this: if you ever find someone really special to you, don't hesitate: try and fight for them. I wasted all this time not telling Mary how I felt, and we could've been together that much sooner…and I was the one that could make her happy this whole time…"

"Don't blame yourself, Gray. I hesitated too, and so did Claire. We all ended up hesitating about our feelings. Maybe it's a common mistake…" Mary said tenderly. "And Claire, I have no doubt in my mind that you're perfectly capable of making someone happy. You did a great job making me happy as a friend, who knows how happy you could make your special someone?"

"Gray… Mary…" Claire sniffled.. "You guys are really great…"

Suddenly, Claire felt two arms come at her back and pull her in for yet another infamous group hug.

"Even though I don't feel the same way Claire, that doesn't make you any less special to me. I suppose this may sound funny considering the circumstances, but I really do love you." Mary grinned.

"Eh, if it actually means anything, there are times when I think you're cute. And thanks, I guess…" Gray murmured.

"Thanks for accepting me you guys. I love you both." She replied warmly.

On that fateful day, the bond between the farmer's two friends proved to be resilient and stronger than ever. Although her confession was not rewarded with requited love, her faith rewarded her with compassion she cherished most of all.

* * *

_**Coming up next is… the last chapter of course! Prepare yourselves for some strange last-minute twists! And no, it's not a dream again. It's for real this time! What are Claire's plans for the future? Might she have a secret love interest lurking in the shadows? Why did I wait this long to give Epona an appearance in this fanfiction?! And… why is there a mysterious traveler coming into the story at the last minute?! What's SHE got to do with anything when the story's about to end? Find out in the mind-boggling conclusion, served with a teaspoon of sweet, sweet Grary!!**_


	17. Dawn of a New Season

_Well, here it is! The big finale! This thing's been going on for more than two months now, but from here on out, it's complete! Since this is the last big hurrah, I might as well bring out the big list of thanks to reviewers throughout the story:_

_**supernae, StarrNight, Mase, Cupcake Daydream, Jean Cooper, youroctober, happinessxandxrainbows, Anonymous, XxXTwilight-SinXxX, BeautifulAuthor, harvestmoonrox, and Kuneko.**_

_I'm a little sad to loose a few would-be regular reviewers over the time of this story, but I'm thankful for the comments I got. Who knows, though? Maybe I'll be flooded with comments from a bunch of my former reviewers at the end? Heh, not likely, but here's hoping._

_By the way, if you haven't noticed, a lot of this story has plenty of references to the Anime, "Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei", meaning "Farewell Mr. Despair". It's an awesome Anime that inspired this fanfic in part, along with all the rampant Graire running around. Actually, Chapter 13 is almost directly based on an episode of the Anime until Robocop Ann and the "oh-so-mysterious" Phantom Renegade came into the scene. It's really fun and wacky; a lot like what I'm going for here. And heads up: There's going to be just one more "run of the mill" reference to this sweet series in this one last Chapter. :) _

_Let's get down to business. With this story's numerous twists and turns, it wouldn't be right to end it without a few last big ones. Coming up is THE LAST and LONGEST Chapter of "A Tale of Soles and Sores". I hope all you readers enjoyed the ride while it lasted!_

* * *

"_**Transcending history and the world, a tale of swords and souls eternally retold..."**_

_**- The Narrative Voice of Soul Calibur  
**_

**Final Chapter: Dawn of a New Season  
**

After some melodrama amongst the citizens of Mineral Town, life in the humble locale finally became peaceful once more. Friendships strengthened, new love blossomed, and illness went away. Spring was nearing its end, and Summer was about to arrive, bringing along a few festivals with it. One was a beach festival for dogs, and another was a festival for the chickens; however, the local farmer Claire Kafka lacked possession of these two animals in her farm. Beyond that, the farm itself seemed particularly lacking of much more than that…

"Gray! Gray!" an excited voice cried in the early hours of the day.

The novice blacksmith had just got out of Inn when he heard the voice cry out. He quickly noticed a woman in a long blue dress running towards him.

"Mary?!" he exclaimed in surprise.

The lively librarian ran straight into her beloved with something in hand.

"Gray! Oh my, Gray… I can't believe it, but… Claire…" she uttered between her breaths.

"What about Claire? Is that goofy farmer in trouble again?!" Gray asked.

"N-no…. I don't believe that to be the issue, but… here…"

Mary then revealed the object in hand to be a letter addressed to her. She opened it up, revealing the contents to be in Claire's handwriting.

"She wrote this letter to the both of us. I wasn't exactly sure why she had to do it this way at first, but when I went to her house, she was gone!" Mary answered.

"Gone?! You mean she just ran off and left town? After everything we did to keep her from falling apart on us yesterday?!" he shouted. "Goddess, I swear, if it's because she's still secretly jealous or something, I'll--"

"Please read this!" Mary insisted. "I doubt she had any superficial excuses… she had genuine reasons…"

The ornery blacksmith sighed a restless sigh.

"Fine, fine…" he grumbled.

He then looked at the note side by side with Mary and began to read:

--

_Dear Mary and Gray,_

_If you're reading this, then it means I left the town. Either that, or I decided to be silly and hand it to one of you personally before I left. Whatever means you got this should be pretty obvious by now. Anyway, I bet you guys must think I'm being cowardly, maybe even hypocritical, and maybe you're right, but I don't want to think about it that way. If I did, it would just hold me back for all the wrong reasons, much like I did when I couldn't confess to Mary about my feelings. I just decided that after spending nearly a whole season with all of you, I'm just not mature enough to raise a farm by myself yet. I thought the whole time that just because I was legally old enough to have my own house and everything, I'd be mature enough to make my own living. But I started realizing that maybe I was just too childish to be the big, reliable lady that can bring the farm out of its slump. Sure, I had the energy and drive to reinvigorate the place, but I was sort of dilly-dallying and not being serious enough to make the best out of it. I was too busy just doing what I wanted to do without a big business sense, and I think I liked Epona's milk too much to make a big profit with her. _

_For now, I decided to seek out a less demanding job to take on until I feel I'm ready to be a farmer again. I managed to get a hold of a want-ad the other day that wanted a maid to help tend the employer's villa and look after her young grand-daughter. Apparently, their usual butler is starting to get rusty in age along with the owner, and they're afraid of the granddaughter being left alone in the long run. What's more is that the poor girl lost her parents too soon in her life, much like I lost Dad. Maybe I could help cheer this girl up as her servant, much like I cheered you guys up as the residential farmer. I also heard there's this pesky thief that roams the place at night. Maybe I can help bring this dirt bag to justice! It's just a passing thought, but it isn't impossible. Heheh…_

_Oh, and don't blame yourselves, guys. This choice didn't have much to do with the both of you at all, I promise. I just wanna clear my head, get a new start, and maybe even become the woman I'd like to be… perhaps a little like Mary. Yeah, it's strange that I'd like to be a little like a friend who ended up being my first love and all, but we're both girls, so it really shouldn't be all that weird, right? I just want to be a more patient and wiser person like her. I'm taking to heart all the good things you saw in me, though, so no way I'm going to completely compromise myself to grow up. Speaking of being like being somebody else, Doctor Trent always did tell me I had a bunch of things in common with his nurse without even trying… aside from our haircuts. Maybe I'll end up more like her instead? Who knows? She's nice and all, so I wouldn't mind that much, but if I accidently become her full-out twin in personality, feel free to freak out. I'll probably be freaking out on the inside, too. And if we share the same thoughts, Elli probably will, too. Man, my head's spinning…_

_But seriously, I don't want you guys keeping away from each other just because I decided to leave. When I get back, you two better be dating, married, raising kids together, or whatever is the appropriate stage for the given lapse of time when I return! I wanna come back to see you two with smiles! I wanna see Mary as the sweet and sensitive wife/girlfriend while I wanna see Gray finally lighten up for a change and be a kind and caring husband/boyfriend! If I come back and find out you two are apart, Mary being all forlorn and sobbing, and a Gray who had lost his mind while giving up the best thing that's ever happened to him, then I swear that I'll take up your challenge and actually take back Mary by force! If I can! If my threat sounds real enough to you guys! Um, forget that last part. I really do want to see something come out of that confession-fest we had yesterday. You two looked so happy and cute together, you know…_

_One last thing: I know it's not fair of me to ask, but could you please take care of the turnips remaining on the field? It only needs about two more days until they're ready for harvest, and it would be a shame to have all that good work go to waste. Not only that, but summer's coming, and I don't want the heat to kill them off because I couldn't be there with them. Maybe Mary could use this time to get closer to her Dad and his plant fascination more? I don't know. But I really am sorry for having to ask such an unfair thing from you guys. You don't have to worry about Epona, though. She's coming with me on my trip! Gotta have my noble steer about my side at all times, right?_

_Good luck you guys, and be happy. I'm sure our friendship won't be going down so easily, even from a sudden separation like this. You showed me how strong and meaningful our bond is, and thanks. I'll promise to grow into a better woman for your sakes. Make sure to tell the doctor I'm sorry, too, but that I'm also thankful for everything he's done for me. It wouldn't be fair to not include another of my best buddies in this whole mess._

_Always Get Taller,_

_Claire Kafka_

_--_

"Well that sucks…" Gray grumbled.

"You're missing her already, aren't you?" Mary asked understandingly.

"Are you serious! After everything she's done?! After everything she put me through?!" Gray barked.

The hot-blooded blacksmith looked like he was just about to explode from all the suppressed frustration he endured and held back in lieu of the blonde farmer he had just dealt with for the past month. In one decisive moment, he finally let it all out… in one big sigh.

"…Yeah…" he muttered reluctantly.

"I am a little concerned, though. This sudden course of action does seems quite rash of Claire, but… maybe it is the best course of action for all of us. If some part of her is still reeling over you and I being together, it might have her distracted from her farm work and she may try to overcompensate by using our companionship in ways." Mary anticipated. "Maybe this time apart will give her the experience and focus she needs in the future. Maybe she'll even find someone special along the way as well?"

"Maybe it'll end up being a fellow guy after all…" Gray guessed.

"What makes you say that?" Mary asked.

"Hey, nothing against that same-gender deal. I'm just saying, if her goal's to be more like the greatest woman who's ever lived, she's going to have more men after him than anything else, and that will work more for her." Gray explained. "But if any of them decide to go after her for all the wrong reasons, that crazy farmer's going to have two good friends that'll come to her rescue right away."

"You… and Doctor Trent?" Mary asked dubiously.

"Okay, make that three." Gray corrected.

"Who's… the third?"

"What? You don't want to be by my side to comfort Claire while I beat the snot out of the guy who hurt our friend?" Gray asked more directly.

"Oh…." Mary uttered. "W-well, maybe I could learn a few defensive arts and help save her myself?"

"I'll have your back and protect you if anything goes wrong." Gray said seriously.

"T-Then… I'll just have to find a way to toughen up and save your behind in the unlikely event that the ruffian takes you don't, won't I?" Mary debated.

"I won't let that happen." Gray stated firmly.

"Will you…?" Mary said while in a daze.

The newly-established pair's faces drew closer and closer together, their lips in perfect symmetry. Little by little, centimeter by centimeter, that small distance was slowly closing in…

"Mary! Gray!" a voce called from the Inn.

The blushing duo quickly drew back to look towards the source of their interruption.

"Cliff?!" both exclaimed.

The young man standing before them had long, messy brown hair tied up in a ponytail. His eager face had thick, brown eyebrows and sharp, boyish dark pupils. He wore a thick, yet sleeveless tan fur coat with worn shorts and a pair of brown travelling boots. Overall, he stood out strongly as the outdoors type.

"Say, the two of you happen to be closest guys to the new farmer, Claire, right?" he asked.

Gray looked at him dubiously, while Mary looked curiously.

"Yes. Yes we are…" Gray stated mildly.

"Oh, good! Say, I know this sounds like a pathetic request coming from me, but do you guys think you could help me get to know her a little better? I… I've been wanting to talk to her for the longest time, but for some reason, I just find it hard to approach her! I'd really appreciate it!" he asked.

The pair looked back in shock, then looked at each other uneasily.

"Oh, wow. So she had a potential bachelor in town, after all." Mary said quietly to Gray.

"You really think he's got it that bad for her?" Gray questioned in equal subtletly.

"Look at him. He's practically beaming! And a little nervously and sweaty… like the two of us before we realized what was going on, now that I think about it…" Mary murmured.

"Er… do you think we should tell him? That her first love was a woman, at least? We don't have to say it was you, but maybe he should know for his sake..." Gray whispered.

"I'm not sure. I think it would be best to have Claire's options still be as open as possible. She hasn't grown up with a lot of experience in love, yet. Maybe the next person she ends up falling in love with a sitar-strumming hippie that represents peace and harmony, or perhaps even the affluent young lady she's going to work with? I may have remained adamant all my love towards you, but with what I've read in romance novels, the emotion can lead to unpredictable results." Mary guessed.

"A sitar-strumming hippie? Where in the world did you get that idea?" Gray asked.

"Well, it does sound somewhat like the opposite of you, doesn't it? Claire always seemed scared of you whenever we're together. At first I thought it was affection, but looking back at it now, maybe you're just not her type?" Mary assumed..

"Um… guys?" Cliff interrupted them.

"Yes, right! Um… sorry to say, but our dear friend Claire had just taken off some time ago. She's decided to take a temporary leave from her farming duties, unfortunately." Mary told him.

This piece of news looked like a big blow to the hopeful Cliff.

"Is that right?" he said, sounding like someone had just punched him in the gut.

"Yes… I'm sorry." Mary answered apologetically.

"Oh, then. Do you happen to know where she's gone?"

"Actually, she hasn't told me directly, but from what I could discern from the letter, she might be heading towards Forget-Me-Not Valley." Mary surmised.

"Wait… Forget-Me-Not Valley?" Gray cried. "How'd you come up with that all of a sudden?"

"Good question, Gray. Actually, this villa and the residence sounds very familiar to me. I have a pen pal and close friend living with the circumstances mentioned on the letter. Her name is Lumina. I'm not sure how many young heiresses out there live in a villa with only their grandmother and elderly butler, but if that's a far more common case than I've surmised, then we live in a pretty interesting world." Mary deduced.

"Wow… you sure know interesting people…" Gray uttered in amazement.

"Forget-Me-Not Valley?! Wait, that's not too far from here!" Cliff exclaimed.

Mary nodded.

"True, I go there every few weekends or so myself. I was actually planning to take Gray there on my next visit."

"Hold on… then we can still see Claire whenever we like?" Gray asked.

"I suppose so. At the same time, I could use the chance to introduce you to my pen pal Lumina." Mary added.

"Oh! This is great!" Cliff cried in relief. "Then… then… maybe, just maybe I could…"

The grizzly young man thought to himself, seemingly formulating a plan in his head, while Gray and Mary could only witness him without a clue to the things in his mind. The next moment, Cliff smacked his right fist onto his left palm.

"Fine! No holding back this time!" he declared.

Without a second thought, the newly resolute man took off towards the valley.

"Thanks guys!" he yelled. "I was way too shy this whole Spring, but now with everything at stake, I now know I can't let her get away! I'm going to get to know her for sure!! Farewell!"

With what just occurred, Mary and Gray gawked in utter disbelief.

"…That hobo's finally gone mad…" Gray muttered.

"Actually, that's quite adorable." Mary said sweetly.

"Whoa, is that Cliff I just heard speeding out of town like a Space Case?" a female voice cried out.

Gray and Mary turned to see it was Karen, clothed in a violet vest, white t-shirt, and blue jean shorts. The pair merely nodded in response.

"Sweet! I always thought that guy was way too shy and quiet, but to see him finally let loose like this?!" Karen cried.

"He's chasing after love, I believe." Mary clarified.

"Even better!" Karen smirked.

She then turned towards the fading speck showing Cliff's presence and brought her hands close to her mouth.

"RUN CLIFF, RUN!!" she shouted at the top of her lungs.

"That reminds me. I should probably get a riffle ready just in case…" Gray said bitterly.

"Gray? Why?" Mary asked uneasily.

"The farm's empty again, and she may come back to reclaim it. I'm not taking any chances! There's just no way am I going to let that bratty Blaire Witchazel run us all miserable again…" Gray declared with a vengeance.

"Right…" Mary sighed.

As all of this went on, a lone girl with braided red hair by the entrance to the Inn grumbled to herself bitterly.

--

Meanwhile, on the road to Forget-Me-Not Valley, the blonde wanderer was heading slowly and steadily on her trusted ride, Epona the cow.

"Don't worry, Epona. We'll reach the Valley soon enough, and when we get there, it'll be all the grass you can eat." Claire told her cow in comfort.

Soon enough, a traveler on the road quickly caught up to the cow with knapsack by her side.

"Hey." The traveler called out.

"Yes?"

Claire immediately got a good look at her new acquaintance. She had short, boyish red hair and wore and unbuttoned, checkered blue shirt over a yellow tee along with a pair of white shorts.

"What are you doing on a cow?" the stranger asked blatantly.

"I'm riding it to Forget-Me-Not Valley of course!" Claire simply replied.

"Huh… I happen to be heading there myself." The stranger noted.

"Really? Is this your first time, too, or have you been there before?" Claire asked.

The red-headed stranger put her hands on her chin and thought back deeply.

"Oh, I've been there before. It's just been awhile, but I still remember the way. It was a few years back, when someone I knew got married." She answered.

"This "someone" a friend of yours?"

"I guess you could say that." The stranger replied with a shrug.

"Oh! Cool! Then maybe you're going back to say hi to them or something?"

"Who knows? Maybe…"

The blonde farmer stared at the red-head stranger rather oddly.

"Gee, you're a really vague and mumblish person, aren't you?" asked Claire.

"That's how I happen to roll." The stranger stated. "You got a problem with it?"

"N-no, not really. It's just you kinda remind me of a friend of mine. Except he yells more and is less vague."

"Sounds like a nice guy…" the stranger answered sarcastically.

"Oh, and he was way more blunt than sarcastic!" Claire added.

"I see…"

"Yep!"

The stranger shot Claire a very dirty glare, unsure whether or not she was completely serious, or was being a subtle smartass, but the blonde cowgirl appeared distinctively straight-faced and jovial.

"Say, girl--"

"You can call me Claire!" the blonde insisted.

"Claire… what are you doing heading to the valley yourself?" the stranger inquired.

"I'm getting a job over there and starting life a new! I'm going to be a maid!" she chirped.

"Does it happen to be for the people in the villa?"

"Yep! Oh, you knew because you lived there before, right?"

"Right…"

The unlikely pair continued travelling side by side, although the stranger held a considerably faster face compared to the blonde on cowback.

"That reminds me! What's your name, pal?" Claire asked.

The red-headed wanderer remained silent as she kept as stoic expression.

"Okay then. You don't have to tell me if you don't want to. I was just curious! I just thought because I shared my name, you'd--"

"It's Nami. Nami Hito." The stranger abruptly stated.

"Then Hello, Miss Hito!" Claire cheered.

"Please, just call me Nami. Neither of us are in a business here." Nami requested.

"Okay, Nami. Please to meet'cha!"

"You, too…" Nami grumbled.

As the travelers continued onward, the irritable woman felt her legs start to tire. Eventually, she looked at the lazily-paced cow and her owner with subtle envy in her eyes. The further they traveled, the more frustrated she got.

"Claire…" Nami suddenly said aloud.

"Yeah, Nami?"

The weary red-head narrowed her eyes and bowed her head slightly as her face started to redden from sheer embarrassment.

"…Can I… have a ride on the cow?" she barely got out, sounding like she was about to choke on something.

"Oh, sure! No problem! Anything to help out a friend! But her name is Epona. You gotta remember that!" Claire fussed.

"Epona?"

"It's a great name!" Claire argued. "She's my noble steer!"

The mentally exasperated traveler glared right into the Claire's eyes, almost certain she had heard quite possibility the stupidest thing she ever heard… that didn't come out of a certain blonde boy's mouth.

"Okay, Epona it is…" she muttered plainly.

Claire then helped her new travelling companion up onto Epona's back. It was a rather awkward process for the both of them, but they both managed well enough.

"By the way, we're not friends…" Nami stated.

"Oh, right! We'll have to wait a bit before we can say that for sure, right? That's okay. I really wasn't sure if I'd be alright with Mr. Yells-A-Lot, but he ended up being cool after all." Claire grinned.

"A Jerk with a heart of gold type, eh?" Nami said curiously. "Don't expect the same from me."

"Ah, don't worry about it! You seem smarter to me than my friend for some reason! Maybe even as smart as my other friend! She was really nice and friendly! And she read a lot!" Claire answered.

"Thanks?" Nami replied.

"No problem!" Claire cheered.

"You know, there's this guy at the valley who's a very talkative guy. You seem like you'd like the merry type. Maybe you two would get along and be fast friends." Nami shared.

"Really? What kinds of things is he into?" Claire asked.

"Women."

That last line immediately shut Claire up on the spot. Part of her wondered if the stoic woman caught on to her remnant feelings of her first fling with love, yet another part of her realized just what Nami meant about this guy.

_"Pervert…" _she thought with a shiver down her spine.

"He…sounds…fun…" Claire said aloud in a forced tone.

Nami looked at the silenced blonde once more with uncertainty.

_"Either she's one of those idiot savant types, or she has way more common sense than she lets on…" _she thought suspiciously.

"Yeah, he's a barrel full of laughs." Nami replied coyly.

And so, Claire Kafka and her latest companion, Nami Hito, set off together towards the rising sun on a slow and steady cow, while yet another destined companion had a great distance to make in order to catch them.

**The End**


End file.
